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UNIVERSITY  of  CALIFORNIA 


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LIBRARY 


"  I  give  my  heart  and  my  hand  to  God  and  my  country ! 


Self-Help 
English  Lessons 

First  Book 

By  Julia  Helen  Wohlfarth 

formerly  Principal  of  Horace  Manti  Elementary  School 

Teachers  College,  Columbia  Uni'versity 

/oinl Author  of  '■'■  Nenv-ff^orld  Speller'"  and 

^'■E'veryday  Words'''' 


Illustrated  by 
Frederick  Richardson 


'    J->    o  '' 


Yonkers-on- Hudson,  New  York 

World  Book  Company 

94150 


WORLD    BOOK    COMPANY 


THE    HOUSE    OF    APPLIED    KNOWLEDGE 

Established,  1905,  by  Caspar  W.  Hodgson 
yonkers-on-hudson,  new  york 
2126    Prairie   Avenue,   Chicago 

The  outstanding  demand  of  the  present  era 
upon  the  schools  is  that  educational  proc- 
esses be  socialized  as  the  most  direct  means 
of  cultivating  a  spirit  of  genuine  democracy. 
Since  language  is  the  fundamental  social  ac- 
tivity, the  teaching  of  English  must  play  an 
important  role  in  realizing  the  ideal  set  be- 
fore the  schools.  The  books  of  the  Self- 
Help  English  Lessons  series  represent  the 
response  of  publishers  and  authors  to  the 
challenge  of  the  times.  While  in  no  degree 
curtailing  individual  development,  they  seek 
to  teach  language  in  such  a  way  that  its  so- 
cial significance  will  be  more  or  less  con- 
sciously realized  from  the  outset,  and  its 
relation  to  good  citizenship  will  become  thor- 
oughly established  in  the  higher  grades 


•  •  ••  • 


WSHEL  :  FB  Reg.-s 


Copyright,  1921,  by  World  Book  Company 
Copyright  in  Great  Britain 

All  rights  reserved 

PRINTED   IN   U.S.A. 


\  \^  \ 

FOREWORD 

-'   I 
The  title  "Self -Help  English  Lessons'.'  clearly  sets  forth 

the  general  purpose  of  the  series  of  textbooks  of  which 

this  is  a  unit.    The  books  aim  to  teach  children  not  only 

to  use  the  English  language  correctly  and  effectively,  and 

to  enjoy  it  with  constantly  growing  appreciation,  but  also 

to  become  independent  and  self-reliant  in  their  efforts  to 

reach  the-  goal. 

In  pursuance  of  these  aims,  the  books  are,  as  far  as  is 
possible,  self-teaching.  While  this  quality  by  no  means 
eliminates  the  teacher,  the  books,  instead  of  being  tools  in 
her  hands,  become  her  allies. 

This  book  occasionally  calls  for  unstudied  dictation  exer- 
cises, and  a  few  other  lessons  requiring  the  use  of  matter 
that  the  pupils  should  not  see  in  advance.  In  order  that 
this  matter  may  be  conveniently  at  hand,  a  "Teacher's 
Supplement"  containing  it  all  will  be  given  free  of  charge 
to  all  teachers  whose  pupils  use  this  book.  The  supple- 
ment is  small,  and  may  be  pasted  into  the  desk  copy  of 
the  language  book. 

Although  the  three  books  of  the  "Self -Help  English 
Lessons"  series  are  self -teaching,  the  book  for  teachers 
entitled  "Self-Help  Methods  of  Teaching  English"  will 
prove  invaluable  to  experienced  and  inexperienced  teach- 
ers alike.  The  advent  of  projects,  the  emphasis  now 
placed  on  oral  composition,  and  the  necessity  for  train- 
ing in  self-help  methods  of  study  have  introduced  new 
and  perplexing  problems  that  tax  the  resources  of  the 
strongest  teacher.     "Self -Help  Alethods  of  Teaching  Eng- 


vi  Foreword 

lish"  gives  a  wealth  of  practical  suggestions  for  dealing 
with  these  and  other   types  of  English  problems. 

Special  acknowledgment  for  invaluable  assistance  is 
made  to  the  following  teachers:  Miss  Lillian  E.  Rogers, 
Principal  of  the  Friends'  West  Philadelphia  School; 
Miss  Katherine  Morse  of  the  New  York  Training  School 
for  Teachers;  Dr.  Frank  M.  McMurry,  Professor  of  Ele- 
mentary Education  at  Teachers  College,  Columbia  Uni- 
versity; and  Mr.  John  J.  Mahoney,  Massachusetts  State 
Supervisor  of  Americanization  and  Principal  of  the  Lowell 
State  Normal  School. 

Grateful  acknowledgment  is  made  to  the  following 
publishers  for  permission  to  use  copyright  matter:  The 
Century  Company  for  a  poem  by  Mary  Mapes  Dodge; 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons  for  poems  by  Henry  van  Dyke 
and  Robert  Louis  Stevenson;  the  John  Lane  Company 
for  a  poem  by  John  Bannister  Tabb;  Everyland  for  a 
poem  by  Virginia  Woods  Mackall;  and  The  Independent 
for  a  poem  by  Alice  May  Douglas.  The  selections  from  the 
works  of  Henry  W.  Longfellow  and  of  Frank  Dempster 
Sherman  are  used  by  permission  of,  and  by  special  arrange- 
ment with,  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  the  authorized 
publishers.  •  "Bobbie  Trotter's  New  Year's  Gift"  was 
suggested  by  a  story  by  Emilie  Poulsson,  and  was  written 
with  her  consent. 


CONTENTS 


Third  Grade 


SECTION 


Two  Ways  of  Telling  a  Story 

Telling  Vacation  Stories     . 

Hints  for  Story-Tellers  and  Listeners 

More  Story-Telling    . 

Reciting  Favorite  Poems    . 

Making  Clear  Word  Pictures 

Studying  Stories  about  Pets 

Telling  Pet  Stories     . 

Telling  a  Class  Story 

Daily  Drill  Exercises  —  Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

A  Language  Game  —  On  the  Road  to  London 

Studying  Question  Sentences 

Asking  and  Answering  Questions 

Telling  Stories  from  Pictures 

Telling  Animal  Stories        .... 

Study  of  a  Story  —  The  Giant  and  the  Sheep 

Playing  the  Story 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

Copying  Sentences 

Correcting  the  Sentences 

Copying  Sentences     .         .         .         ,         . 

Writing  the  Names  of  Persons   .... 

Telling  "Good-Times"  Stories  .... 

Study  of  a  Poem  —  Who  Loves  the  Trees  Best  ? 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Is  and  Are 

Copying  Sentences 

Two  Ways  of  Arranging  Sentences 

Copying  a  Paragraph 

Autumn  Changes 

Making  and  Guessing  Riddles 

Copying  a  Paragraph 

Study  of  a  Poem  —  Autumn 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

Spelling  Review 

Study  of  a  Poem  —  Autumn  Leaves 


PAGE 

3 
6 

7 
8 

9 

lO 
12 

13 
14 

15 
17 
i8 

21 
21 
22 
22 

25 
26 
27 
29 
29 
30 
31 
32 

34 
35 
36 
38 

39 
40 
40 

41 
42 
43 
44 


vu 


Vlll 


Contents 


SECTION 

37 
38 

39 
40 


PAGE 


Copying  Lesson 

Study  of  a  Story  —  The  Camel  and  the  Goat    . 

Playing  the  Story 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Was  and  Were 
Story-Telling  Week    ...... 

41.  Copying  a  Note  ...... 

42.  Dictation  Lesson        ...... 

43.  Writing  the  Names  of  the  Days  of  the  Week     . 

44.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

45.  Playing  Santa  Claus 

46.  Being  a  Real  Santa  Claus  ..... 

47.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Poem,  "Which  Loved  Best ? ' 

48.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Helping  at  Home 

49.  Improving  Stories      .         .         .         .         .         . 

50.  Telling  Helping  Stories 

51.  Dictation  Lesson        ...... 

52.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Isnt,  etc. 

53.  A  Language  Game  —  Colors      .... 

54.  Following  Directions  ..... 

55.  A  Language  Game  —  Following  Directions 

56.  Dictation  Lesson 

57.  A  Story  to  Learn  —  The  Boy  and  the  Nuts 

58.  Study  of  a  Poem  —  Hiawatha's  Childhood 

59.  Writing  a  Class  Story 

60.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Teach  and  Learn 

61.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Birds  in  W^inter    . 

62.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Bird  Friends 

63.  Dictation  Lesson 

64.  Writing  Notes . 

65.  Telling  Secrets 

66.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

67.  Fables  to  Learn  ...... 

68.  Study  of  a  Poem  —  Sympathy 

69.  Describing  Clearly 

70.  Describing  Toys 

71.  Telling  Stories  from  a  Picture    .... 

72.  Writing  Riddles 

73.  Guessing  the  Riddles 

74.  A  Language  Game  —  Have  You  Seen  My  Lamb  ? 


Contents 


IX 


SECTION 

75.  Spelling  Review 

76.  Dictionary  Lesson 

77.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Politeness  . 

78.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Helping  at  School 

79.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Saw  and  Seen 

80.  Language  Game  —  On  the  Road  to  London 

81.  Writing  the  Names  of  Places    . 

82.  Study  of  a  Story  —  The  Fairies  Who  Changed  Work 

83.  Playing  the  Story     . 

84.  Writing  Questions  and  Answers 

85.  Telling  Stories  from  a  Picture  . 

86.  Fables  to  Learn 

87.  Dictionary  Lesson    . 

88.  Writing  Stones  from  Pictures  . 

89.  Criticizing  the  Picture  Stories  . 

90.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Did  and  Done 

91.  A  Language  Game  —  Who  Did  It? 

92.  Copying  Lesson        ...... 

93.  Following  Directions  —  IVIaking  Pinwheels 

94.  WTiat  Language  Has  to  Do  with  Number  Work 

95.  What  Language  Has  to  Do  with  Other  Subjects 

96.  Telling  Stories  from  Pictures    .... 

97.  Study  of  a  Poem  —  The  Bluebird    . 

98.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Ran  and  Run 

99.  Study  of  a  Poem  —  The  Raindrops'  Ride 

100.  Writing  a  Story 

loi.  Copying  and  Dictation     .... 

102.  Dictation  Lesson 

103.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Our  Country 

104.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Come  and  Came 

105.  Copying  Lesson 

106.  Telling  Secrets  .        .        . 

107.  Stories  to  Learn 

108.  Study  of  a  Story  —  The  King  and  the  Bee 

109.  Playing  the  Story 

no.  Spelling  Review 

111.  Telling  a  Class  Story        .... 

112.  Writing  Stories 

113.  Correcting  the  Stories      .... 


PAGE 

84 
85 

86 

87 
88 
89 
90 
91 
95 
95 
96 
96 
98 
98 

99 
99 

lOI 

102 
103 
104 
105 
105 
106 
107 
108 
109 
109 
no 
no 
in 
112 
112 
112 

lU 
n6 
n6 
n6 
n8 
n8 


Contents 


SECTION 

114.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Went  and  Gone 

115.  Study  of  a  Poem  —  Springtime 

116.  Copying  Lesson 

117.  Answering  an  Invitation  . 

118.  Telling  Stories  about  Bees 

119.  Writing  a  Good-by  Letter 

120.  Some  Questions  to  Answer 
Summary  of  Rules  Learned 
Books  for  Summer  Reading 
America   .... 


I. 

2. 
3- 

4- 

5- 
6. 

7- 
8. 

9- 

10. 
II. 

12. 

I3-- 
14. 

IS- 
16. 

17- 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 

23- 

24. 

25- 

26. 


■rectly 


Fourth  Grade 

Bobby  Trotter's  New  Year's  Gift 

Telling  Vacation  Stories  . 

Writing  Dates  . 

Telling  Stories  from  a  Picture 

Studying  Beginning  Sentences 

Telling  Stories .' 

Copying  Lesson 

Dictation  Lesson 

Reviewing  Poems 

Reviewing  Stories     . 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Pronouncing  Words  Cor 

Stories  to  Learn        .... 

Following  Directions  —  Making  a  Box 

Explaining  How  Things  Were  Made 

Spelling  Review        .... 

Study  of  a  Poem  —  Autumn  Fires  . 

Group  Story-Telling 

Another  Autumn  Poem  —  Goldenrod 

Copying  Lesson        .... 

Telling  Stories  from  a  Picture  . 

Writing  a  Story        .... 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

Study  of  Titles         .... 

Making  Titles  for  Stories  and  Pictures 

Finishing  Stories       .... 

Stories  to  Learn       .... 


Contents 


XI 


SECTION 


27.     Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  "Have  No,"  "Has 


No,"  etc. 


28. 
29. 

d>o- 

31- 
i2. 

2>3- 
34- 
35- 
36. 
37- 
38. 

39- 
40. 

41. 

42. 

43- 
44. 
45- 
46. 

47- 
48. 

49- 
SO. 
51- 

52. 
S3- 
S4- 

ss- 

S6. 

S7- 
S8. 

S9- 
60. 
61. 
62. 


A  Language  Game  —  Trades  and  Tools     . 

Contractions 

Study  of  a  Story  —  Rhodopis  and  Her  Slippers 

Playing  the  Story 

Conversation  Lesson  —  Hallowe'en  Fun    . 
Describing  Jack-o'-Lanterns 

Dictation  Lesson 

Study  of  a  Story  —  Falling  Leaves    . 

Converscition  Lesson  —  The  Uses  of  Leaves 

Writing  "Correct  Use"  Sentences 

Daily  Drill  Exgrcise  —  Correct  Use  of  Give,  Gave,  and  Given 

Copying  Sentences     .... 

Study  of  Two  Poems  —  The  Difference ;    Daylight  and 

Moonlight 

Spelling  Review 

Study  of  a  Picture  —  A  Pilgrim  School 

Writing  Stories 

Conversation  Lesson  —  The  "Thank- You"  Day 

Daily  DriU  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Grew,  Blew,  etc. 

A  Language  Game  —  Asking  and  Answering  Questions 

Getting  Ready  for  Christmas     . 

Studying  and  Writing  a  Christmas  Note 

After-Christmas  Stories 

Describing  Two  Christmas  Trees 

Writing  "Thank- You  Letters"  . 

A  Language  Game  —  The  Birthday  Party 

Conversation  Lesson  —  Thrift   . 

Conversation  Lesson  —  Another  Form  of  Thrift 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Rang,  Rung, 

Simg       ........ 

Letter  Writing 

Writing  Addresses      ...... 

Another  Lesson  in  Letter  Writing 

Conversation  Lesson  —  Our  Friends  in  Other  Lands 

Study  of  a  Poem  —  The  Land  of  Storybooks     . 

Study  of  a  Poem  —  Windy  Nights     . 

Copying  and  Dictation 


Sang 


PAGE 

157 

162 
163 
163 
164 
164 
166 
167 
167 
169 

169 
171 
171 
172 
174 
174 
175 
176 
176 
178 
178 
180 
180 
181 
182 

183 
185 
186 
187 
189 
191 
193 
193 


xii  Contents 

SECTION  PAGE 

63.  Explaining  How  Things  Are  Done     .... 

64.  Answering  Questions 

65.  Asking  and  Answering  Questions        .... 

66.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  May  and  Can 

67.  Spelling  Lesson  ........ 

68.  Dictionary  Lesson 

69.  Study  of  a  Story  —  The  Country  Mouse  and  the  City 

Mouse 

70.  Playing  the  Story 

71.  A  Story  of  George  Washington 

72.  Telling  Hero  Stories  . 

73.  Picture  Writing  —  Selection  from  Hiawatha 

74.  Explaining  the  Picture  Writing  .... 

75.  A  Study  of  Word  Pictures 

76.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Our  Friends  in  Other  Lands 

77.  A  New  Use  of  the  Apostrophe  —  Possessives     . 

78.  Copying  Lesson 

79.  Dictation  Lesson 

80.  DaUy  Drill  Exercise  —  DonH  and  DoesnU 

81.  A  Language  Game     ....... 

82.  Stories  to  Learn 

83.  Keeping  a  Diary  —  Getting  Ready 

84.  Telling  a  Story  from  a  Picture  .... 

85.  Answering  a  Letter  

86.  Starting  the  Diaries 

87.  Abbreviations  of  the  Days  of  the  Week  and  the  Months 

88.  Study  of  Poems  — What   Robin  Told;      Pussy  Willow's 

Secret      

89 .  Conversat  ion  Lesson  —  The  Importance  of  Good  Manners 

90.  Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  /  and  Me 

91.  Story  Telling 

92.  Writing  Stories 

93.  Writing  Conversation  in  Stories  —  Quotation  Marks 

94.  Another  Way  of  Arranging  Quotations 

95.  Conversation  Lesson  —  Safety  First   .... 

96.  Study  of  a  Story  —  Mother  Sunshine's  Victory 

97.  Playing  the  Story 

98.  Study  of  a  Poem  —  Under  the  Ground 
90  Letter  Writing 


Contents 


Xlll 


SECTIO^f 

lOO. 

lOI. 

I02. 

103. 

104. 

105. 

106. 

107. 
108. 

109. 
no. 
III. 

112. 

113- 

114. 

115- 
116. 
117. 
118. 
119. 

120. 


PAGE 

Spelling  Lesson 233 

A  New  Use  of  the  Comma  in  Writing  Conversation  — 

With  Name  of  Person  Spoken  To         ...         .  234 

Reading  Diary  Stories 235 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Correct  Use  of  Those  and  Them  .  236 

Traveling  Seeds        . 237 

Answering  a  Question 238 

Copying  Lesson 239 

Study  of  a  Story  —  The  South  Wind  and  the  Dandelion  .  239 
Another  Use  of  the  Comma  in  Writing  Conversation  — 

With  'Yes  and  No 240 

Making  and  Guessing  Riddles 242 

Writing  the  Riddles 242 

Conversation  Lesson  —  Thrift 243 

Explaining  Quotation  IVIarks 243 

Conversation  Lesson  —  Our  Friends  in  Other  Lands        .  244 

Writing  a  Letter 246 

Study  of  a  Poem  —  Rain  in  Summer        .         .    '     .         .  246 

The  Uses  of  Rain 247 

Study  of  a  Poem  —  Hide  and  Seek 247 

Dictation  Lesson 248 

Making  Books  for  the  Grade  Library       ....  249 

Some  Questions  to  Answer 249 

Summary  of  Rules  Learned 250 

Books  for  Summer  Reading 252 

Index        ..,.,.         o         ..         .  253 


THIRD   GRADE 

TO   THE   GIRLS  AND  BOYS   OF  THE 
THIRD   GRADE 

The  long  summer  vacation  is  over, 
and  here  you  are  at  school  again.  Are 
you  glad  to  be  in  the  third  grade  ?  Many 
of- you  are  in  a  new  room  and  have  a  new 
teacher,  and  all  of  you  have  many  new 
things  to  think  about  and  to  do. 

And,  of  course,  you  all  have  new 
books.  Here  is  one  for  you.  It  con- 
tains many  pictures  and  stories,  but  it 
is  not  a  reader.  It  is  not  a  speller,  and 
it  is  not  a  nature-study  book.  What  is 
it  ?  If  you  will  read  the  first  lesson  in 
class  with  your  teacher,  you  will  find 
the  answer  to  the  riddle,  and  you  will 
also  discover  what  good  times  are  ahead 
for  you. 

Did  you  ever  play  so  hard  that  the 
play  seemed  like  work  ?  This  book  will 
help  you  to  find  out  how  very  much 
like  play  some  work  can  be.  The  author 
hopes  that  you  will  enjoy  using  the 
book  as  much  as  she  has  enjoyed  writ- 
ing it  for  you.  May  the  third-grade 
year  be  full  of  happy  days  ! 


Self -Help  English '  Lessons 


f--^'  ■      .-<■.  c  ■■■ 


Two  Ways  of  Telling  a  Story  3 

1.   TWO   WAYS   OF   TELLING   A   STORY 

The  Picture  Way 

Look  at  the  picture  on  the  opposite  page.  The 
artist  had  a  jolly  picnic  story  in  mind,  and  he  drew 
the  picture  so  that  you  might  enjoy  the  story,  too. 
Does  the  picture  tell  a  good  story  ? 

The  Language  Way     • 

Another  way  to  tell  the  story  is  by  using  words. 
This  is  the  language  way. 

Stop,  Thief! 

When  the  Wilson  children  took  Scamp  to  May's  birth- 
day picnic,  they  knew  that  something  exciting  would 
happen  before  the  day  was  over.  They  were  not  mis- 
taken. 

The  morning  passed  merrily  away.  Just  before  noon 
Scamp  lay  down  in  the  shade.  May  was  swinging,  and 
swinging  made  Scamp  dizzy.  He  had  tried  it  once.  The 
rest  of  the  children  were  wading  in  the  brook,  and  he  was 
tired  of  splashing  water  over  them.  There  was  nothing  in 
sight  to  chase,  for  squirrels  do  not  attend  picnics  to  which 
dogs  are  invited.  Scamp  knew  that  the  time  had  come  to 
start  a  new  game.     He  looked  slyly  around. 

In  a  cool,  shady  spot  stood  the  lunch  basket.  Scamp 
spied  it  at  once.  He  thought  of  the  sandwiches  and  cakes 
and  big  red  apples  he  had  seen  Mrs.  Wilson  crowd  into 
it.     His  large  brown  eyes  twinkled  with  mischief. 


4  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

A  moment  later  May  heard  a  queer  noise  and  turned 

around. 

*' Hurry!  Hurry!"  she  cried  at  the  top  of  her  voice. 
"Scamp  is  running  off  with  the  lunch!" 

No  second  alarm  was  needed.  Four  pairs  of  dripping 
legs  started  after  the  dog,  and  four  merry  voices  shouted, 
''Stop,  tliicf!     Stop,  thief!" 

The  race  was  on,  and  Scamp  was  as  happy  as  the  chil- 
dren. Near  the  bushes  Frank  caught  him  by  the  collar. 
Of  course  Scamp  intended  from  the  first  to  be  caught. 
He  set  the  basket  on  the  ground  and  wagged  his  tail  as 
if  to  say,  "It  was  all  fun.  I  wouldn't  cheat  you  out  of 
your  lunch  for  the  biggest  piece  of  cake  in  the  basket." 

"Of  course  not,  old  fellow,"  said  Frank,  who  understood 
every  wag  of  Scamp's  bushy  tail.  "You  thought  it  was 
time  for  lunch,  didn't  you?" 

"  Bow- wow- wow  ! "  answered  Scamp.  Then  he  picked 
up  the  basket  and  trotted  back,  well  satisfied  with  his 
froHc,  and  sure  that  he  would  have  his  share  of  the  good 
things  he  was  carrying. 

The  story-teller  used  the  language  way.  She  wished 
to  tell  the  same  story  told  by  the  artist,  but  instead  of 
drawing  pictures,  she  used  words,  or  made  word  pictures. 
As  you  were  reading  the  story,  or  as  your  teacher  read 
it  to  you,  did  the  word  pictures  make  you  see  other 
pictures  in  your  mind? 

The  artist  did  not  always  make  pictures  like  the  one 
on  page  2.  When  he  was  a  little  boy,  he  would  have 
told  the  same  story  as  in  the  picture  at  the  top  of  the 
next  page.  Do  you  sometimes  tell  stories  in  this 
way? 


Two  Ways  of  Telling  a  Story 


And  when  the  story-teller  was  a  little  girl,  she  might 
have  told  the  story  in  the  following  way  : 

One  day  the  Wilson  children  had  a  picnic  in  the  woods. 
They  took  their  dog  Scamp  with  them.  When  Scamp  was 
tired  of  wading,  he  ran  off  with  the  lunch.  He  did  it 
just  for  fun.  Frank  caught  him,  and  Scamp  took  back 
the  basket.  Their  lunch  must  have  tasted  good  after  the 
race. 

But  the  artist  and  the  stor^'-teller  were  not  long 
satisfied  with  these  pictures.  Year  after  year  they 
learned  to  make  better  ones. 

And  now  you  too  are  to  learn  to  tell  what  you  are 
thinking  about,  in  a  better  way  than  you  have  done 
before.  This  book  will  not  teach  you  to  use  the  picture 
way  of  telling  things,  but  it  will  teach  you  to  use  the 
language  way  so  well  that  the  persons  to  whom  you 
speak  will  see  pictures  in  their  minds.     You  will  learn 


6  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

to  choose  the  best  words  and  to  put  them  together  in 
such  a  way  that  they  will  show  exactly  what  your 
thought  is. 

As  you  have  never  before  used  a  language  book, 
you  will  not  be  expected  to  study  alone  at  first.  Your 
teacher  will  study  with  you.  You  will  read  the  lessons 
together,  you  will  talk  them  over  in  class,  you  will 
ask  and  answer  questions,  and  you  will  learn  to  wear 
your  thinking  caps  while  you  are  doing  these  things. 
In  this  way,  little  by  little,  you  will  become  able  to 
help  yourself  in  learning  our  fine  old  English  language. 

Do  you  now  see  why  you  are  to  use  this  book,  and 
why  it  is  called  "Self -Help  English  Lessons"? 

2.    TELLING   VACATION    STORIES 

Should  you  like  to  hear  about  the  good  times  your 
classmates  had  during  the  long  vacation?  For  the 
next  lesson  or  two  you  may  tell  vacation  stories. 

Do  not  try  to  tell  everything  about  your  vacation. 
Think  over  all  the  good  times  you  had,  and  choose 
the  best  one.  Try  to  make  your  story  interesting, 
and  make  it  short. 

Here  is  a  boy's  story  to  start  off  with : 

One  hot  summer  day  I  wanted  to  go  swimming.  Mother 
would  not  let  me  go,  but  she  told  Betty  and  me  to  put  on 
our  bathing  suits.  Then  she  turned  the  hose  on  us.  We 
screamed  and  danced  like  wild  Indians.  Mother  enjoyed 
the  fun  as  much  as  we  did. 


Hints  for  Story-Teller s  and  Listeners  7 

When  the  children's  stories  have  all  been  told, 
perhaps  your  teacher  will  tell  you  about  a  good  time 
she  had  during  her  vacation. 

3.   HINTS   FOR   STORY-TELLERS   AND    LISTENERS 

During  a  story- telling  period,  each  of  you  will  be 
busy  all  the  time.  What  shall  you  be  doing  when  you 
are  not  talking? 

Do  you  like  to  see  the  person  who  is  telling  you  a 
story?     Do  you>like  to  hear  every  word  that  is  said? 

This  lesson  gives  some  hints  to  both  the  story-teller 
and  the  listener.  Talk  these  hints  over  with  your 
teacher,  and  try  to  find  at  least  one  good  reason  for 
each  one. 

Things  for  the  story-teller  to  remember  : 

1.  Have  an  interesting  story  to  tell. 

2.  Stand  where  all  can  see  you. 

3.  Speak  so  that  all  can  hear. 

Things  for  the  listener  to  remember : 

1.  Look  at  the  story-teller  all  the  time. 

2.  Listen  very  carefully. 

3.  Have  a  good  time !  The  story  is  being  told  for 
you. 

When  you  have  given  a  good  reason  for  each  of  these 
hints,  perhaps  one  of  you  will  enjoy  telling  another  va- 
cation stor>\  Did  the  story-teller  and  the  listeners  all 
remember  the  hints? 


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Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 


4.   MORE   STORY-TELLING 

Last  year  you  learned  to  do  many  interesting  things 
at  school.  Today  you  may  tell  short  stories  about 
any  of  these  things  that  you  enjoyed  doing  during  the 
vacation. 

If  you  learned  to  read  well,  perhaps  you  read  stories  ; 
what  stories  did  you  read  ?  If  you  learned  things  about 
plants  and  animals,  perhaps  you  were  interested  in 
watching  plants  and  animals ;  what  did  you  see  ? 


Reciting  Favorite  Poems  9 

If  you  learned  to  draw,  did  you  make  pictures  at 
home?  If  you  learned  to  be  a  helper  at  school,  what 
did  you  do  to  help  at  home  ?  Did  you  play  any  games 
you  learned  at  school  ?  Did  you  learn  to  make  things 
of  paper  or  cardboard?  If  so,  what  did  you  make  at 
home  ? 

When  you  have  decided  what  story  to  tell,  take 
a  few  minutes  to  think  how  you  will  tell  it.  Do  not 
forget  what  you  talked  about  in  your  last  lesson. 
Plan  to  be  gooc^  story-tellers  and  good  listeners,  too ! 

5.    RECITING   FAVORITE   POEMS 

Think  over  all  the  poems  you  learned  in  lower 
grades  and  choose  the  one  you  like  best.  As  soon  as 
a  favorite  poem  is  named,  all  who  chose  the  same 
one  may  raise  their  hands.  In  this  way  it  will  be  easy 
to  choose  a  few  class  favorites. 

The  child  who  first  names  a  favorite  poem  may 
recite  it.  If  any  words  or  lines  are  forgotten,  the 
class  may  help.  The  poems  may  then  be  recited  in 
concert. 

A  little  later  you  will  learn  more  poems.  Until 
then,  perhaps  your  teacher  will  allow  you  to  recite,  at 
opening  exercises  or  at  some  other  time,  the  poems  you 
already  know,  so  that  you  will  not  forget  them.  Grand- 
mothers sometimes  recite  poems  learned  when  they 
were  children,  and  they  enjoy  them  even  more  than 
when  they  first  learned  them. 


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Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 


6.   MAKING   CLEAR   WORD  PICTURES 

In  what  way  is  the  second  of  these  pictures  different 
from  the  first?  Which  picture  tells  the  story  more 
clearly?  Why  would  an  artist  not  join  the  parts  of 
his  picture  with  lines?  Which  picture  do  you  like 
the  better  ? 

Sometimes    children    spoil    their   word  pictures  by 


Making  Clear  Word  Pictures  il 

joining  the  parts.     Here  are  two  stories  in  which  nearly 
the  same  words  are  used.     Read  both  stories  aloud. 

Hero  was  the  smallest  puppy  I  ever  saw  and  father 
brought  him  home  in  his  coat  pocket  and  nothing  showed 
but  Hero's  funny  Kttle  nose  and  now  he  is  a  big  watchdog 
and  keeps  off  tramps  and  takes  care  of  us  at  night. 

Hero  was  the  smallest  puppy  I  ever  saw.  Father 
brought  hint  home  in  his  coat  pocket.  Nothing  showed  but 
Hero's  funny  Kttle  nose.  Now  he  is  a  big  watchdog.  He 
keeps  off  tramps  «,nd  takes  care  of  us  at  night. 

Look  at  the  second  story  carefully.  What  is  the 
first  thing  it  tells  about  Hero?  These  words  form 
a  sentence  because  they  tell  something  about  Hero 
very  clearly.  What  is  the  second  sentence?  What  is 
the  third  ?     How  many  sentences  are  there  in  all  ? 

How  many  thoughts  does  the  last  sentence  give  you  ? 
What  are  they?  We  often  express  two  thoughts  in 
one  sentence,  but  the  trouble  with  the  first  story  is 
that  all  the  thoughts  about  Hero  are  told  in  one  very 
long  sentence.  What  word  joins  the  parts  of  this  long 
sentence  ? 

You  have  already  learned  some  things  about  sen- 
tences. With  what  kind  of  letter  does  each  sentence 
begin  ?  What  mark  is  used  at  the  end  of  every  telling 
sentence?  The  capital  letter  and  the  period  are  used 
to  help  the  reader.  They  show  where  each  sentence 
begins  and  ends,  and  so  make  it  easier  for  the  reader 
to  get  the  thought. 


12  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

When  the  second  story  was  read,  did  the  reader's 
voice  show  where  each  sentence  ended?  If  you  did 
not  notice,  the  stor>'  may  be  read  again.  The  voice 
should  show  when  the  end  of  a  sentence  is  reached. 
This  helps  the  listener,  just  as  the  period  helps  the 
reader. 

If  you  form  the  habit  of  telling  your  stories  in  short 
sentences,  you  wiU  soon  be  able  to  make  very  clear 
word  pictures.  For  the  present  you  may  try  to  do 
three  things : 

1.  Choose  an  interesting  story  to  tell. 

2.  Tell  it  in  short  sentences. 

3.  Let  your  voice  show  where  each  sentence  ends. 

7.    STUDYING   STORIES   ABOUT   PETS 

For  your  next  lesson  you  may  tell  stories  about  one 
of  your  pets.  If  you  have  no  pet,  you  may  tell  what 
one  you  should  like  to  have  and  why. 

The  first  thing  to  do  is  to  decide  what  you  will  tell 
about  your  pet.  Shall  you  try  to  tell  all  about  it,  or 
shall  you  choose  one  interesting  thing  ?  The  following 
stories  may  help  you  to  decide  which  is  the  better 
way.     They  were  told  about  the  same  canary. 

We  have  a  pet  canary  at  home.  He  is  bright  yellow. 
He  eats  bird  seed  and  drinks  water.  Sometimes  he  takes 
a  bath.     Our  canary  sings  very  sweetly. 

My  pet  canary  Hkes  ice  cream.  Every  Sunday  I  take 
him  a  spoonful  after  dinner.     He  chirps  when  he  sees  me 


Telling  Pet  Stories  13 

coming  with  it.  One  Sunday  he  pecked  at  the  ice  cream 
ninety-nine  times.  I  tried  to  make  him  do  it  once  more, 
but  he  wouldn't. 

In  what  ways  are  both  stories  good?  Which  story 
might  be  told  about  almost  any  canary?  Which 
story  is  the  more  interesting  ?     Why  ? 

Try  to  make  your  pet  story  like  the  more  interesting 
canary  story.  If  your  pet  can  do  a  trick,  or  if  he  has 
ever  done  some  unusual  thing,  that  wUl  make  a  good 
story.  » 

One  chUd  may  tell  a  pet  story  today.  The  teacher 
wiU  write  it  on  the  blackboard.  If  it  is  not  told  in 
short,  clear  sentences,  the  class  may  help.  Read  the 
story  and  see  if  you  can  make  it  still  better. 

Take  plenty  of  time  to  think  about  the  story  you 
are  to  tell  for  your  next  lesson.  When  you  have 
decided  what  to  teU  about  your  pet,  think  what  you 
wish  to  say  first.  Put  this  thought  into  the  first 
sentence.  Put  the  thought  that  should  come  next 
into  a  second  sentence,  and  so  on.  Perhaps  you  will 
enjoy  telling  your  story  at  home  before  you  tell  it  at 
school. 

8.   TELLING   PET   STORIES 

Today  you  will  tell  the  pet  stories.  Remember  to 
stand  where  all  can  see  you  and  to  speak  so  that  all  can 
hear. 

When  the  stories  have  been  told,  you  may  choose 
the  best  ones.     Think  of  these  things  when  choosing : 


14  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

1.  Was  the  story  interesting? 

2.  Was  it  told  in  short,  clear  sentences? 

3.  Did  the  story-teller's  voice  help  the  listeners? 
If  there  is  not  time  for  all  the  stories  today,  you  may 

take  another  period  for  them. 

9.    TELLING   A   CLASS    STORY 

The  following  story  was  told  at  school  by  a  boy 
of  about  your  age  : 

Last  Saturday  I  went  to  the  circus.  I  saw  lions,  bears, 
monkeys,  and  even  a  pig.  The  clown  was  very  funny.  I 
saw  a  dog  pushing  a  doll  carriage.  I  saw  a  dozen  other 
things. 

Talk  over  this  story  in  class.  Be  sure  to  say  just 
what  you  think  about  it,  no  matter  what  others  may 
say. 

In  what  respect  is  the  story  well  told?  Is  it  inter- 
esting or  not,  and  why?  Did  the  boy  try  to  tell  all 
about  the  circus,  or  did  he  choose  one  interesting 
thing  to  tell  about?  Explain  how  a  child  might  tell 
this  story  without  going  to  the  circus  at  all.  Does  the 
last  sentence  help  you  to  see  the  "dozen  other  things" ? 

What  interesting  thing  is  mentioned  that  would 
make  a  good  story?  For  the  remainder  of  the  period 
you  may  tell  a  make-believe  story  about  a  dog  pushing 
a  doll  carriage.  This  will  be  team  work.  Each  child 
will  help  make  a  good  story,  just  as  the  members  of 
a  ball  team  help  win  the  game. 

Make  the  story  a  lively  one.      What  was  in  the 


Daily  Drill  Exercise 


IS 


carriage?  Did  the  dog  walk  all  the  way?  If  he  ran, 
what  happened? 

When  you  have  decided  these  matters,  several 
children  may  give  a  beginning  sentence.  Choose  the 
best  one  for  the  teacher  to  write  on  the  blackboard. 
Build  the  rest  of  the  story  sentence  by  sentence. 

When  the  story  is  finished,  read  it  aloud  and  see 
if  it  can  be  improved. 


10.,  DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

When  we  speak,  the  most  important  thing  is  to  have 
something  to  say,  but  we  must  not  forget  how  much 
the  voice  can  do  to  help  the  listener. 

In  what  way  have  you  already  been  trying  to  make 


1 6  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

your  voice  help?  Another  way  is  to  pronounce  your 
words  very  distinctly. 

The  little  teacher  in  the  picture  has  written  on  the 
blackboard  several  words  that  trouble  many  children. 
Pronounce  the  words  distinctly.  The  listeners  may 
tell  if  they  hear  the  ing  sound  clearly. 

Read  also  these  sentences  and  the  little  story  that 
follows  them : 

1 .  What  are  you  doing  ? 

2.  I  am  making  a  boat. 

3.  Are  you  going  to  sail  it  ? 

4.  The  Indian  is  jumping  into  a  canoe. 

5.  Frank  is  reading  a  story. 

6.  Mother  is  making  a  pie. 

7.  The  boys  are  running  a  race. 

8.  Are  you  going  to  school  today  ? 
•Q.  Playing  Indian  is  good  sport. 

10.   The  children  are  singing  "America." 

It  was  the  Fourth  of  July  morning.  The  birds  were 
singing  and  the  bells  were  ringing.  Flags  were  flying 
everywhere.  Happy  children  were  shouting  and  dancing 
for  joy. 

Daily  Three-Minute  Drills 

Pronouncing  ing  words  indistinctly  is  only  one  of  the 
bad  language  habits  that  trouble  some  children.  There 
are  many  others,  and  to  help  break  these  bad  habits 
is  one  of  the  most  important  uses  of  language  les- 
sons. 

A  good  plan  is  to  have  a  three-minute  drill  every 


A  Language  Game  ly 

day  of  the  school  year.  Your  teacher  will  select  the 
best  time  for  these  drills.  During  the  three  minutes 
you  will  repeat  correct  forms  so  many  times  that  you 
will  get  over  the  habit  of  using  incorrect  ones. 

Begin  with  the  ing  words,  using  the  sentences  and 
the  story  in  the  last  lesson.  Keep  up  this  drill  every 
day  until  you  pronounce  the  words  distinctly  without 
stopping  to  think. 

If  any  of  you  have  no  trouble  with  ing  words,  do  not 
feel  that  you  are  wasting  your  time.  It  will  help 
others  to  hear  you  pronounce  them  distinctly.  Be 
good  helpers ! 

11.    A   LANGUAGE    GAME 
On  the  Road  to  London 

"On  the  Road  to  London"  is  a  game  for  the  entire 
-class.     The  first  child  says,  "On  the  road  to  London 

I  saw  a ,"  naming  an  animal.     The  second  child, 

who  does  not  know  what  animal  will  be  named,  im- 
mediately tells  what  the  animal  was  doing,  and  the 
third  child  tells  what  then  happened.  The  fourth 
child  must  tell  the  entire  stor>^ 

These  sentences  might  be  given,  for  instance: 

First  child :  On  the  road  to  London  I  saw  a  monkey. 
Second  child  :  He  was  begging  for  his  master. 
Third  child  :   I  threw  him  a  nickel. 

The  fourth  child  then  repeats  the  entire  story. 


1 8  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Or 

First  child :  On  the  road  to  London  I  saw  a  iion. 
Second  child  :  He  was  combing  his  mane. 
Third  child  :  I  helped  him  get  out  the  snarls. 

The  fourth  child  then  repeats  the  entire  story. 

When  the  fourth  child  has  told  the  entire  story,  the 
fifth  child  begins  a  new  story.  Here  are  the  rules  of 
the  game : 

The  first  sentence  must  always  contain  the  words  I  saw. 
The  other  sentences  must  be  given  promptly. 
The  child  who  tells  the  entire  story  must  not  join  the 
sentences. 

Play  the  game  rapidly.  Any  child  who  breaks 
a  rule  must  drop  out  of  the  game.  At  the  close  of  the 
game  all  who  dropped  out  must  pay  a  forfeit.  Help- 
ing each  other  tell  a  good  three-sentence  story  will 
make  a  good  forfeit,  but  you  may  decide  that  for 
yourselves. 

12.    STUDYING    QUESTION   SENTENCES 

Once  upon  a  time  a  boy  named  Jack  set  out  to  seek  his 
fortune.     He  had  not  gone  far  when  he  met  a  dog. 
"Where  are  you  going.  Jack?"  asked  the  dog. 
*'I  am  going  to  seek  my  fortune,"  answered  Jack. 
"May  I  go  with  you?"  asked  the  dog. 
"Yes,  indeed,"  repHed  Jack,  "the  more,  the  merrier." 
So  on  they  went,  jigglety-jolt,  jigglety-jolt. 


Studying  Question  Sentences  19 

What  was  the  first  thing  the  dog  said?  Did  these 
words  tell  Jack  something?  What  did  they  do? 
What  other  questions  do  you  find? 

Each  of  these  questions  is  a  sentence  because  it  asks 
something  very  clearly.  One  child  may  take  the  part 
of  Jack,  and  another  the  part  of  the  dog.  Read  the 
words  they  spoke,  omitting  everything  else. 

Which  one  read  questions?  Which  read  telling 
sentences?  Did  the  voices  show  the  difference  be- 
tween the  two  Jkinds  of  sentences?  If  you  did  not 
notice,  they  may  be  read  again. 

How  does  the  book  show  that  a  sentence  is  a  ques- 
tion? The  question  mark  is  used  only  to  help  the 
reader.  When  you  ask  a  question,  your  voice  should 
help  the  Ustener  just  as  the  question  mark  helps  the 
reader. 

See  how  many  questions  you  can  find  on  pages  7 
and  13.     Read  them  and  notice  how  the  voice  helps. 

Here  is  a  story  told  by  a  country  boy : 

My  pet  pig  likes  to  play.  She  runs  away,  and  I  catch 
her  by  the  tail.  They  say  her  eyes  will  come  out  if  I  pull 
her  tail  too  hard.     Do  you  believe  it  ? 

Answer  the  question  in  the  story,  and  give  a  good 
reason  for  not  pulling  an  animal's  tail  too  hard. 

Did  the  boy  use  good  sentences  in  telling  his  story? 
How  many  telling  sentences  did  he  use?  What  mark 
does  the  book  use  after  each  telling  sentence?  What 
mark  does  it  use  after  the  question  ? 


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Self-Help  English  Lessons 


Telling  Stories  from  Pictures  21 

13.   ASKING   AND   ANSWERING    QUESTIONS 

Should  you  like  to  have  an  elephant  for  a  pet? 
This  girl's  father  once  had  charge  of  the  animals  at 
a  Zoo.     She  helped  him  train  the  baby  elephant. 

All  of  you  know  something  about  elephants,  but 
none  of  you  know  all  about  them.  You  may  not 
know  what  they  eat,  how  they  are  caught  and  tamed, 
what  kind,  of  work  they  do,  and  so  on.  Each  child 
may  ask  one  question  about  the  elephant,  and  the 
others  may  try  «to  answer  it.  Have  several  questions 
ready,  because  some  one  else  may  ask  the  one  you 
first  thought  of.  Ask  something  you  should  really 
like  to  know. 

See  how  many  of  the  questions  you  can  answer. 
Use  several  short  sentences,  if  necessary. 

14.   TELLING   STORIES   FROM    PICTURES 

On  page  23  is  a  short  story  told  in  four  pictures. 
Which  picture  is  the  second  one  of  the  story? 

Study  the  pictures  one  at  a  time,  and  ask  each  other 
questions  about  them.  Be  sure  that  both  questions 
and  answers  are  stated  in  clear  sentences. 

When  you  are  sure  that  you  know  exactly  what  story 
the  artist  wished  to  tell,  you  may  tell  it  in  words.  This 
will  be  team  work.    Only  a  few  sentences  will  be  needed. 

Several  children  may  give  beginning  sentences.  The 
best  one  may  be  written  on  the  blackboard  by  the 
teacher.     Finish  the  story  sentence  by  sentence.     The 


'?'> 


Self -11  dp  English  Lessons 


artist  has  put  fun  into  his  picture ;  be  sure  to  put  fun 
into  yours. 

When  the  story  is  finished,  read  it  and  see  if  it  can 
be  improved. 

For  your  next  lesson  you  may  tell  a  funny  story 
about  a  monkey  or  some  other  animal.  Think  it  out 
as  you  did  the  class  story  today.  Do  not  try  to  learn 
your  story  by  heart,  but  decide  exactly  what  your 
opening  sentence  is  to  be. 

15.   TELLING   ANIMAL   STORIES 

Today  you  will  tell  the  animal  stories.  When  they 
have  all  been  told,  choose  the  best  one.  The  best 
one  will  be  the  one  that  was  funniest  and  was  told 
in  the  clearest  sentences.  Let  the  voices  help  in  every 
possible  way. 

16.    STUDY   OF  A   STORY 

The  Giant  and  the  Sheep 

Once  upon  a  time  a  large  sheep  named  Curly-Horn,  a 
middle-sized  sheep  named  Snow-Fleece,  and  a  baby  sheep 
named  Lambkin  were  strolling  in  a  forest  where  a  giant 
lived.  As  Lambkin  was  passing  his  house,  the  giant  ran 
out  and  caught  him. 

"What  luck!"  cried  the  giant.  "Now  I  shall  have 
roast  lamb  for  my  supper." 

"Oh,  do  not  eat  me,"  whined  Lambkin.  "My  sister 
Snow-Fleece  is  coming  this  way  soon.  She  is  much  fatter 
than  I  am.     She  will  make  you  a  better  supper." 

So  the  giant  put  him  down,  and  he  scampered  home. 


Study  of  a  Story 


23 


24  Self-IIclp  English  Lessons 

Soon  after  Snow-Fleece  came  along  the  path.  The 
ffiant  dashed  from  his  house  and  seized  her. 

"  What  a  fat  sheep  !  "  he  shouted.  ''  Here's  a  supper 
lit  for  a  king." 

"Oh,  do  not  eat  me,  giant,"  cried  Snow- Fleece.  "My 
brother  Curly-Horn  is  much  larger  and  fatter  than  I  am. 
He  will  make  you  two  suppers." 

So  the  giant  let  her  go,  and  she  ran  home  as  fast  as  her 
feet  could  carry  her. 

By  and  by  Curly-Horn  jogged  slowly  along,  and  the 
giant  pounced  upon  him. 

"Ho,  ho  !"  he  thundered.  "Tliis  fellow  was  worth  wait- 
ing for.     What  a  feast  I  shall  have  !  " 

"But  you  shall  not  feast  on  me,"  exclaimed  Curly- 
Horn,  angrily.  Then  he  tossed  his  horns,  and  the  giant 
rolled  over  into  the  well.  That  was  the  end  of  the 
monster. 

When  Curly-Horn  reached  home,  the  three  sheep  danced 
for  joy. 

"^  knew  Snow-Fleece  would  get  away  from  the  giant," 
said  Lambkin. 

"And  I  knew  Curly-Horn  was  a  match  for  any  giant  in 
the  land,"  said  Snow-Fleece. 

Curly-Horn  looked  very  proud  and  happy,  but  all  he 
said  was,  "  Baa-a  !     Baa-a  !     Baa-a!" 

Read  the  story  aloud.  What  is  a  monster?  Tell 
by  doing  something  what  these  words  mean :  strolled, 
whined,  pounced,  jogged,  scampered. 

Read  the  story  once  more,  omitting  everything 
except  the  words  spoken  by  the  giant  and  the  sheep. 
Four  children  may  take  the  parts.  Did  the  voices 
show  how  the  giant  and  the  three  sheep  felt  ? 


Playing  the  Story  25 

Getting  Ready  to  Play  the  Story 

In  your  next  lesson  you  will  play  the  story  of  "The 
Giant  and  the  Sheep."  Today  you  may  make  your 
plans. 

How  many  boys  and  how  many  girls  are  needed? 
What  differences  in  size  should  there  be?  Choose  a 
part  of  the  room  for  each  place  mentioned  in  the  story. 

How  did- Lambkin  say,  "Do  not  eat  me"?  Try  to 
shout  and  thunder  as  you  think  the  giant  did  if  you 
can  do  it  without  disturbing  any  other  class.  Practice 
saying  "Baa-a !  "  as  Curly-Horn  said  it. 

Show  how  the  giant  pounced  upon  Curly-Horn. 
Plan  how  Curly-Horn  can  throw  the  giant  into  the 
well,  without  being  as  rough  as  the  real  Curly-Horn 
must  have  been. 

Choose  several  sets  of  players,  or  pupils  may  volun- 
teer. Those  who  are  to  play  the  parts  need  not  try 
to  remember  the  exact  words  of  the  book.  Have  the 
story  in  mind,  and  say  what  would  be  natural  under 
the  circumstances. 

Read  the  story  aloud  once  more  if  there  is  time. 
Notice  that  the  sheep  all  talked  in  short,  clear  sentences. 
Even  the  wicked  giant  did  that ! 

17.    PLAYING   THE    STORY 

When  the  first  set  of  children  has  played  the  story, 
tell  what  was  done  well.  What  might  have  been 
improved?     The  second  set  of  players  should  make 


26  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

use  of  the  help  given  by  the  class.  If  there  is  time, 
a  third  group  may  play  the  story,  trying  to  say  things 
the  other  players  did  not  think  of. 

18.    DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 
Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

Do  you  now  pronounce  running,  doing,  making,  and 
other  ing  words  distinctly  whenever  you  use  them? 
You  w^ill  find  a  few  of  them  in  this  lesson. 

Words  beginning  with  wh  trouble  some  children. 
Notice  carefully  how  your  teacher  pronounces  the 
following  words,  and  pronounce  them  after  her  : 

which  why  whittle 

white  where  whisper 

what  wheel  while 

when  whip  wheat 

Read  these  sentences,  pronouncing  all  words  very 
distinctly : 

1 .  What  are  you  doing  with  my  hat  ? 

2.  Which  story  do  you  like  best  ? 

3.  Where  was  the  giant  going? 

4.  Our  flag  is  red,  white,  and  blue. 

5.  When  shall  we  tell  our  stories? 

6.  To  whom  did  you  whisper  ? 

7.  My  brother  is  whittling  a  boat. 

8.  Make  hay  while  the  sun  shines. 

9.  I  never  whip  my  pony. 

Use  these  words  and  sentences  in  your  three-minute 
drills  for  a  few  days. 


Copying  Sentences  27 

Since  your  teacher  has  set  aside  a  time  for  these  drills, 
you  know  when  to  be  ready  for  them  each  day.  Have 
your  language  book  ready  and  turn  promptly  to  the 
place,  so  that  no  time  will  be  wasted. 

19.    COPYING   SENTENCES 

So  far  you  have  been  trying  to  improve  your  spoken 
language,  but  you  will  sometimes  need  to  write  instead 
of  talk.  You  will  wish  to  write  notes,  and  it  will  be 
a  good  plan  sometimes  to  write  your  stories.  You 
can  then  save  them  and  see  how  much  you  improve. 
And  as  time  goes  on,  you  wiU  find  other  reasons  for 
"talking  w^ith  pencil  or  pen." 

As  you  probably  did  some  writing  in  the  lower 
grades,  much  of  this  lesson  will  be  review. 

Does  the  print  cover  this  entire  page?  On  how 
many  sides  are  there  blank  spaces?  These  spaces 
are  called  margins.  They  form  a  sort  of  frame  for 
the  printed  part  of  the  page.  Would  the  page  look 
well  without  this  frame? 

A  written  page  also  must  have  margins  if  it  is  to 
look  well.  Talk  it  over  in  class  with  your  teacher, 
and  decide  how  wide  the  margins  should  be  on  the 
paper  you  use. 

You  might  find  it  hard  at  first  to  think  of  the  story 
you  wish  to  tell,  and  at  the  same  time  remember 
margins,  capitals,  periods,  question  marks,  and  spelling. 
For  this  reason  you  will  copy  sentences  for  a  time. 
When  you  have  formed  good  copying  habits,  you  will 


28  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

be  able  to  write  and  give  most  of  your  attention  to  the 
thoughts  you  wish  to  express. 

Today  you  will  copy  these  sentences : 

Three  sheep  were  taking  a  walk. 
They  were  caught  by  a  giant. 
Have  you  heard  the  story  ? 

Before  copying  the  first  sentence,  study  it  in  this 
way : 

1 .  Read  the  sentence  and  be  sure  of  its  meaning. 

2.  Answer  the  following  questions  : 

With  what  kind  of  letter  does  the  sentence  begin  ? 
Does  the  sentence  tell  something  or  does  it  ask 

something  ? 
What  mark  is  used  at  the  end? 

3.  Study  any  words  you  do  not  know  how  to  speU. 

4.  Read  the  entire  sentence  once  more. 

Now  write  the  sentence  without  looking  again  at  the 
book. 

Study  each  of  the  other  sentences  in  the  same  way 
before  copying  it. 

Give  special  attention  to  the  spelling  of  they,  were, 
heard,  and  taking.  What  letter  do  you  find  in  take  that 
is  not  in  taking?  Making,  coming,  and  having  are 
formed  in  the  same  way  from  make,  come,  and  have. 

Every  sentence  should  begin  with  a  capital  letter. 
Every  telling  sentence  should  end  with  a  period. 
Every  question  should  end  with  a  question  mark. 


Copying  Sentences  29 

20.    CORRECTING   THE    SENTENCES 

Compare  your  sentences  with  those  in  the  book, 
thinking  of  these  points  one  at  a  time :  margins,  spell- 
ing, capitals,  periods,  question  marks.  Try  to  copy 
correctly  the  first  time.  If  you  do  make  a  mistake, 
you  should  find  it  yourself.  Copy  once  more  any 
sentence  in  which  a  mistake  was  made. 

Write  your  name  below  the  last  sentence,  skipping 
a  line.  As  names  are  not  all  of  the  same  length,  you 
may  first  practice  placing  your  name. 

Take  a  second  sheet  of  paper,  and  begin  near  the 
middle  of  a  line.  If  the  name  does  not  look  well 
there,  start  at  another  point.  Be  sure  to  leave  a 
margin  at  the  right  of  the  page. 

When  you  have  succeeded  in  placing  your  name  so 
that  it  looks  well,  notice  where  you  began.  After  this, 
always  begin  at  the  same  point. 

Your  teacher  will  hang  up  some  of  the  papers  which 
are  correct  and  have  the  names  well  placed.  Look  at 
them  carefully  before  your  next  lesson. 

21.    COPYING   SENTENCES 
Copy  the  following  sentences  in  class  : 

The  baby  sheep  was  too  thin. 
Snow-Fleece  was  larger  and  fatter. 
Which  sheep  was  the  largest? 

Turn  back  to  Lesson  19  and  read  carefully  the  direc- 
tions for  studying  and  copying. 


30  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

Notice  how  too  is  spelled  in  the  first  sentence.  You 
should  spell  it  the  same  way  in  writing  too  large ,  too 
soft,  too  warm.     Do  not  let  which  catch  you. 

Correct  your  work  as  you  did  in  your  last  lesson. 

Are  you  trying  to  write  very  plainly?  Writing 
plainly  helps  the  reader,  just  as  speaking  distinctly 
helps  the  listener.  Whenever  you  write,  remember 
that  some  one  will  read  your  words.  The  more  plainly 
you  write,  the  easier  it  will  be  for  the  reader  to  get  your 
thought. 

Copying  Lesson  —  Seat  Work 

Copy  these  sentences,  following  the  directions  on 
page  28.  Read  these  directions  always  before  begin- 
ning to  copy. 

None  of  the  sheep  were  killed. 
They  all  reached  their  home. 
Do  you  think  they  were  happy? 

Notice  the  spelling  of  their  in  the  second  sentence. 
It  is  spelled  the  same  way  in  their  hats,  their  hooks, 
their  kites.  None  is  another  word  that  needs  careful 
study. 

Correct  your  papers  as  before. 

22.   WRITING   THE   NAMES    OF   PERSONS 

You  have  already  learned  to  write  your  name. 
What  kind  of  letter  do  you  use  at  the  beginning  of  each 
part  of  your  name  ? 


Telling  ''Good-Times''  Stories  31 

What  is  the  initial  of  your  middle  name?  What 
mark  should  be  used  after  an  initial?  The  period 
shows  that  the  name  was  not  written  in  full.  It  is 
as  much  a  mistake  to  omit  the  period  as  it  would  be 
to  use  a  small  letter  for  the  initial. 

Here  is  a  name  written  in  three  ways: 

John  Greenleaf  WTiittier 
John  G.  Whittier 

J.  G.  Whittier 

» 

Write  your  name  in  full.  Write  it  using  an  initial 
for  the  middle  name.     Write  all  your  initials. 

Write  your  father's  name,  and  the  names  of  your 
brothers  and  sisters.  Copy  your  teacher's  name  from 
the  blackboard. 

Each  part  of  a  person's  name  should  begin  with  a  capital 
letter. 

An  initial  letter  used  instead  of  a  name  should  be  followed 
by  a  period. 

23.   TELLING    "GOOD-TIMES"    STORIES 

You  have  already  told  a  story  about  the  best  time 
you  had  during  the  summer  vacation.  Today  you 
may  tell  about  the  best  time  you  ever  had  in  your  life. 

Remember  to  do  these  things  : 

Tell  an  interesting  story. 
Tell  it  in  short  sentences. 
Let  your  voice  show  where  each  sentence  ends. 


32  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

When  the  stories  have  all  been  told,  you  may  choose 
the  best  one.  If  some  one  has  told  an  interestmg  story, 
but  did  not  tell  it  in  clear  sentences,  the  class  may 
help  improve  the  story. 

24.    STUDY   OF  A   POEM 

Who  Loves  the  Trees  Best? 

Who  loves  the  trees  best  ? 

"  I, "  said  the  spring ; 
*'  Their  leaves  so  beautiful 

To  them  I  bring." 

Who  loves  the  trees  best  ? 

"I,"  summer  said; 
''  I  give  them  blossoms, 

White,  yellow,  red." 

Who  loves  the  trees  best  ? 

"I,"  said  the  fall; 
"I  give  luscious  fruits, 

Bright  tints  to  all." 

Who  loves  the  trees  best  ? 

"I  love  them  best," 
Harsh  winter  answered ; 

"I  give  them  rest." 

ALICE   MAY   DOUGLAS 

Listen  carefully  while  your  teacher  reads  the  poem 
to  you.  Name  the  seasons.  What  other  name  do  we 
sometimes  give  to  fall?    What  is   a   luscious  fruit? 


Study  of  a  Poem  33 

What  luscious  fruits  have  you  eaten  ?  Name  some  of 
the  autumn  tints.  Why  is  winter  described  as  harsh  ? 
Is  he  harsh  where  you  hve?  Do  trees  need  rest  as 
people  do? 

Talk  over  the  gifts  of  the  different  seasons,  and  then 
answer  the  question,  "Who  loves  the  trees  best?" 

Read  the  poem.  What  do  you  like  about  it? 
Learn  it  by  heart.  This  wiU  be  easy  if  you  think  of 
the  seasons  in  their  order  and  remember  the  gift  of 
each.  Your  teacher  will  tell  you  when  to  be  ready 
to  recite  the  poem. 

Are  you  remembering  to  recite  now  and  then  the 
poems  learned  in  lower  grades? 

Copying  Lesson  —  Seat  Work 

Look  once  more  at  the  poem  in  the  last  lesson.  Do 
the  names  of  the  seasons  begin  with  capital  letters? 
When  should  they  begin  with  capitals? 

Review  the  directions  for  study  in  Lesson  19,  page 
28.  Then  copy  the  following  sentences,  filling  each 
blank  space  with  the  name  of  a  season.  Give  special 
attention  to  the  spelling  of  season,  autumn,  vacation, 
violet,  nutting.     Write  very  plainly. 


I. 


I  was  born  in 


2.  is  the  season  I  like  best. 

3.  The  snow  falls  in . 

4.  The  long  vacation  comes  in  — 

5.  is  the  nutting  season. 

6.  Do  you  like  to  pick  violets  in 


34  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

25.   DAILY  DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  Is  and  Are 

1.  Spring  is  the  season  of  violets. 

2.  Violets  are  my  favorite  flowers. 

How  many  seasons  are  spoken  of  in  the  first  sentence  ? 
Does  the  sentence  use  is  or  are?  Does  the  second 
sentence  mention  one  violet  or  more  than  one  ?  What 
word  is  used  instead  of  is? 

Children  sometimes  use  is  when  speaking  of  more 
than  one  person  or  thing.  Read  the  following  sen- 
tences. In  each  case  tell  whether  is  or  are  is  used, 
and  why. 

1.  My  dress  is  torn. 

2.  My  dresses  are  torn. 

3.  A  beaver  is  a  busy  worker. 

4.  Beavers  are  busy  workers. 

5.  Six  and  five  are  eleven. 

6.  What  are  the  girls  making  ? 

7.  Which  story  is  your  favorite? 

8.  What  are  your  favorite  stories? 

The  word  there  is  often  used  with  is  and  are.  Spell 
there.  Pronounce  there  is  and  there  are  very  dis- 
tinctly. 

1.  There  is  no  rain  left  in  heaven. 

2.  Are  there  any  birds  in  last  year's  nest? 

3.  There  is  nothing  meaner  than  a  lie. 

4.  There  are  two  pints  in  a  quart. 


Copying  Sentences  35 

Are  is  always  used  with  the  word  you,  whether  one 
person  or  more  than  one  is  spoken  to. 

1.  Are  you  going  to  the  woods,  Mary? 

2.  Boys,  you  are  far  too  noisy. 

Use  the  is  and  are  sentences,  and  also  the  following 
groups  of  words,  in  your  three-minute  drills  for  a  few 
days: 

He  is  You  are  She  is  We  are 

They  are      '  Are  you  Are  they  It  is 

We  use  IS  when  speaking  of  one  person  or  thing. 
We  use  are  when  speaking  of  more  than  one  person  or 
thing. 

We  always  use  are  with  the  word  you. 

26.   COPYING   SENTENCES 

Study  the  following  sentences  carefully  before  copy- 
ing them.  Use  is  or  are  wherever  there  is  a  blank 
space.  Give  two  reasons  for  beginning  John  with 
a  capital.  Give  special  attention  to  the  spelling  of 
making,  two,  there,  and  here. 

1 .  How  many two  and  seven  ? 

2.  My  pencil dull. 

3.  John  and  I making  a  kite. 

4.  There no  leaves  on  the  ground. 

5.  Where their  hats? 

6.  How  many  inches there  in  a  foot? 

7.  Here the  top  you  lost. 


36 


Self-Help  English  Lessons 


27.  TWO  WAYS  OF  ARRANGING  SENTENCES 

Could  this  picture  have  been  taken  in  the  part  of 
the  country  where  you  Hve?  What  season  do  you 
think  it  is? 

Here  are  two  sets  of  sentences  about  the  picture : 


Two  Ways  of  Arranging  Sentences  37 


1.  The  children  are  gathering  chestnuts. 

2.  It  is  a  cold  autumn  day. 

3.  The  house  has  two  chimneys. 

4.  Of  what  is  the  squirrel  thinking? 


Jack  Frost  came  to  town  last  night.  He  opened  the 
chestnut  burs,  and  dov>^n  came  the  nuts.  We  are  filling 
our  pockets  with  them.  Do  you  think  any  will  be  left 
for  the  squirrel?  ' 

Which  set  of  sentences  tells  a  story?  Notice  how 
the  sentences  are  written.  A  group  of  sentences 
written  in  this  way  is  called  a  paragraph.  The  sen- 
tences which  form  a  paragraph  always  belong  together. 
They  help  each  other.  Pronounce  paragraph  dis- 
tinctly after  your  teacher. 

Do  the  sentences  in  the  first  group  tell  a  story? 
Perhaps  you  wrote  story  sentences  in  this  way  in  the 
lower  grades,  but  you  are  now  able  to  write  them  in 
the  grown-up  way. 

Look  at  the  stories  on  pages  3,  22,  and  45.  Are 
they  printed  in  paragraphs?  Are  the  stories  in  your 
readers  printed  in  paragraphs  ?  Why  are  the  sentences 
near  the  middle  of  page  16  printed  one  below  the  other? 

For  seat  work  you  may  copy  the  sentences  of  the 
first  group.  Study  carefully  the  spelling  of  autumn, 
squirrel,  and  two  chimneys.  Two  is  spelled  the  same 
way  in  writing  two  apples,  two  dollars,  two  cents. 


94150 


38  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

If  you  make  no  mistakes  in  copying  these  sentences, 
your  teacher  will  know  that  you  are  ready  to  copy  a 
paragraph. 

28.    COPYING   A   PARAGRAPH 

Look  at  the  Jack  Frost  story  once  more.  Does  the 
first  line  begin  where  the  others  do  ?  Turn  also  to  the 
stories  on  pages  5,  6,  and  11.  Does  the  first  line 
of  each  begin  in  the  same  way? 

When  we  stick  our  fingers  into  a  rubber  ball  and 
make  a  hollow  place  in  it,  we  say  that  we  dent  the  ball. 
When  we  make  a  hollow  place  in  the  first  line  of  a 
paragraph,  we  say  that  we  indent  it. 

Everything  we  do  in  writing  is  done  to  help  the  reader. 
It  may  be  hard  for  you  to  understand  how  indenting 
helps  the  reader  when  there  is  only  one  paragraph. 
But  when  there  are  several  paragraphs,  indenting 
shows  where  a  new  part  of  the  story  begins.  Are  the 
paragraphs  in  your  reader  indented?  You  will  learn 
more  about  paragraphs  later. 

The  model  on  the  next  page  shows  how  a  written 
paragraph  should  look.  Is  the  right  margin  as  regular 
as  the  others?  In  writing,  it  is  not  always  possible 
to  make  the  lines  end  directly  below  each  other.  But 
there  should  always  be  a  right  margin,  even  if  it  is 
not  perfectly  regular. 

Find  a  line  in  the  model  that  ends  with  part  of  a 
word.  Where  is  the  remainder  of  the  word?  How 
does  the  book  show  that  the  word  has  been  divided? 


Autumn  Changes  39 


■fc/^.    XA  Jta^2/C'  me^ZACA/  ^6^i^-'if€^  ,a^i4rCMAy 


This  'mark  is  called  a  hyphen.  Pronounce  hyphen 
several  times  after  your  teacher. 

If  the  entire  word  had  been  written  on  the  first  line, 
it  would  have  crowded  the  line  and  would  have  spoiled 
the  margin. 

A  word  of  one  syllable  is  never  di\dded.  If  there 
is  not  room  for  it  at  the  end  of  a  line,  write  it  on  the 
following  line.  If  a  word  of  two  or  more  syllables  is 
divided,  make  the  division  at  the  end  of  a  syllable. 

Copy  the  Jack  Frost  story  on  page  37.  Arrange 
your  work  as  in  the  model. 

29.    AUTUMN    CHANGES 

What  signs  of  autumn  do  you  see  in  your  part  of  the 
country?  What  kinds  of  fruits  and  vegetables  grow 
near  you  ? 

Tell  in  a  story  of  three  or  four  sentences  how  the 
most  common  fruit  is  gathered.     Which  of  the  vege- 


40  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

tables  can  be  stored  just  as  they  are  gathered?     How 
can  the  others  be  kept  for  winter  use  ? 

If  you  Hve  in  a  large  city,  tell  in  a  short  story  how 
the  fruits  and  vegetables  are  brought  from  the  country, 
and  how  your  parents  get  them. 

30.    MAKING   AND    GUESSING   RIDDLES 

You  may  play  that  you  are  a  fruit  or  a  vegetable, 
and  make  a  riddle  for  your  classmates  to  guess.  Here 
is  one : 

I  am  one  of  the  most  useful  fruits.  Sometimes  I  am  red, 
and  sometimes  I  am  green.  I  am  as  round  as  the  full 
moon.  Some  people  like  me  best  in  pie.  I  keep  all  winter 
if  Jack  Frost  does  not  catch  me.     What  am  I? 

The  pupil  who  first  guesses  the  riddle  may  give  the 
next  one.     Talk  in  short,  clear  sentences. 

31.    COPYING   A   PARAGRAPH 

Today  in  class  you  may  study  carefully  the  riddle 
given  in  the  last  lesson.  Make  sure  of  the  spelling  of 
people,  useful,  and  does. 

Why  are  capital  letters  used  in  writing  Jack  Frost? 
What  word  having  only  one  letter  do  you  find  in  the 
riddle?  What  kind  of  letter  is  always  used  in  writing 
this  word  ? 

Do  not  begin  to  copy  a  sentence  until  you  have  it 
fully  in  mind. 

The  word  /  is  always  written  with  a  capital  letter. 


Study  of  a  Poem  41 

32.    STUDY   OF   A   POEM 

Autumn 

"Come,  little  leaves,"  said  the  wind  one  day, 
"  Come  over  the  meadows  with  me  and  play ; 
Put  on  your  dresses  of  red  and  gold, 
For  summer  is  gone  and  the  days  are  cold." 

Dancing  and  whirling  the  Uttle  leaves  went ; 
Winter  had  called  them,  and  they  were  content ; 
Soon,  fast  askep  in  their  earthy  beds, 
The  snow  laid  a  coverlet  over  their  heads. 

GEORGE    COOPER 

Try  to  see  the  pictures  in  the  poem  as  your  teacher 
reads  it  to  you.  The  parts  of  a  poem  are  not  called 
paragraphs ;   they  are  called  stanzas. 

Each  stanza  of  this  poem  gives  a  pretty  picture. 
Where  are  the  leaves  in  the  first  picture?  Of  what 
color  are  they?  Wliy  does  the  wind  tell  them  to 
change  their  dresses? 

What  two  words  in  the  second  stanza  show  how  the 
leaves  went  with  the  wind?  What  happened  when 
they  had  finished  their  plav?  What  is  an  earthy  hed? 
What  is  a  coverlet? 

Read  the  poem  aloud.  Be  sure  to  speak  so  that 
every  one  can  hear,  and  to  pronounce  the  words  dis- 
tinctly. Try  also  to  use  your  voice  in  as  pleasant  a 
way  as  possible.  Did  you  notice  how  your  teacher 
used  her  voice  when  she  read  the  poem  ? 


42 


Self-Help  English  Lessons 


Iff 


33.   DAILY  DRILL  EXER- 
CISE 

Pronouncing  Words 
Correctly 

See  how  many  can  climb 
the  ladder  without  falling. 
You  fall  if  you  do  not 
pronounce  a  word  cor- 
rectly. If  you  stumble, 
start  again. 

Those  who  reach  the 
top  without  having  had 
a  fall  may  all  come  down 
together;  that  is,  they 
may  pronounce  the 
words  in  concert. 

Those  who  made  more 
than  one  trial  may  come 
down  one  at  a  time. 

The  pupil  who  first 
notices  that  a  word  was 


spelling  Review 


43 


not  correctly  pronounced  may  have  the  next  turn  to 
clunb  the  ladder. 

Spell  the  words  on  the  ladder. 

Use  the  words  on  the  ladder  and  the  following 
sentences  in  your  three-minute  drills  for  a  few  days. 
Read  the  sentences  as  rapidly  as  you  can  and  still  pro- 
nounce the  words  distinctly. 

Catch  ine  if  you  can  ! 

I  ate  an  orange  for  breakfast. 

It  is  just  teQ  o'clock. 

Will  you  please  get  the  book  ? 

r  can  draw  pictures.     Can  you  ? 

Do  not  let  Jack  Frost  catch  you. 

It  is  getting  very  warm. 

I  have  just  finished  my  work. 

Which  can  run  faster,  Ned  or  Tom  ? 


I. 

2. 

3- 

4- 

5- 
6. 

7- 
8. 


34.    SPELLING   REVIEW 

Review  the  spelling  of  the  following  words.  Use 
each  group  of  words,  like  too  large,  in  a  sentence.  Per- 
haps your  teacher  will  use  a  spelling  period  for  having 
a  spelling  match  on  these  words  and  others  that  you 
need  to  review. 


coming 

having 

where 

running 

autumn 

which 

making 

just 


until 

season 

useful 

catch 

were 

taking 

they 

none 


hear  a  noise 
too  large 
ate  an  apple 
their  books 
come  here 
two  cents 
there  are 
heard  music 


44  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

35.    STUDY   OF  A   POEM 

Autumn  Leaves 

Scamper,  little  leaves,  about 

In  the  autumn  sun  ; 
I  can  hear  the  old  wind  shout, 

Laughing  as  you  run. 
And  I  haven't  any  doubt 

That  he  likes  the  fun. 

When  you've  run  a  month  or  so, 
Very  tired  you'll  get ; 

But  the  same  old  wind,  I  know. 
Will  be  laughing  yet 

When  he  tucks  you  in  your  snow- 
Downy  coverlet. 

So,  run  on  and  have  your  play, 

Romp  with  all  your  might ; 
Dance  across  the  autumn  day, 

While  the  sun  is  bright ; 
Soon  you'll  hear  the  old  wind  say, 

"Little  leaves,  good  night !" 

FRANK  DEMPSTER   SHERMAN 

Listen  carefully  while  your  teacher  reads  the  poem 
to  you.  Notice  how  she  uses  her  voice  to  help  bring 
out  the  meaning. 

In  what  way  is  this  poem  like  the  one  in  the  last 
lesson  ?  Who  is  speaking  in  the  poem  ?  Find  as  many 
words  as  you  can  that  tell  how  the  leaves  move.  Which 
of  these  words  were  used  in  the  poem  "Autumn"? 


Study  of  a  Story  45 

Which  line  tells  you  that  the  wind  is  a  merry  play- 
fellow? What  happens  to  the  leaves  at  last?  Why 
is  downy  coverlet  a  good  name  for  the  snow  ? 

What  sounds  do  you  hear  when  you  read  the  first 
two  stanzas?     What  sound  do  you  hear  at  the  last? 

Do  you  like  these  autumn  poems?  You  may  learn 
by  heart  the  one  you  like  best.  Read  your  favorite 
several  times.  You  will  find  that  you  remember  some 
lines  .from  the  first.  Your  teacher  will  tell  you  when 
to  be  ready  to  recite  the  poem. 

36.    COPYING   LESSON 

Did  you  hear  the  wind  shout?  The  leaves  heard  him 
calling  them.  They  played  until  they  were  tired.  Then 
the  wind  tucked  them  under  the  snow. 

Notice  how  hear  is  spelled  in  the  first  sentence.  It 
would  be  spelled  in  the  same  way  in  hear  a  noise,  hear 
the  music,  Itear  it  thunder.  How  many  Vs  are  there  in 
until  ?     Which  sentence  in  the  story  asks  a  question  ? 

Copy  the  story  after  studying  it  carefully. 


37.    STUDY   OF   A   STORY 
The  Camel  and  the  Goat 

A  camel  and  a  goat  once  met  on  the  highway  and  strolled 
along  together. 

"See  how  tall  I  am  ! "  said  the  camel.  "There  is  nothing 
so  useful  as  being  tall." 


46  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

"I  don't  agree  with  you,"  said  the  goat.  ''There  is 
no  tiling  in  the  world  hke  being  short." 

"I  can  prove  that  I  am  right,"  said  the  camel.  "If  I 
fail  to  do  so,  I  will  give  you  my  hump." 

''And  if  I  cannot  prove  that  it  is  better  to  be  short,  I 
will  give  you  my  horns." 

"Agreed!"  cried  the  camel. 

"Agreed!"  echoed  the  goat. 

They  soon  came  to  a  garden  surrounded  by  a  wall.  It 
was  too  high  for  the  goat,  but  the  camel  easily  reached 
the  fruit  and  had  a  good  breakfast. 

"What  do  you  think  now?"  he  asked,  laughing  in  a 
good-natured  way  at  the  hungry  goat.  "Isn't  it  better 
to  be  tall  than  short?" 

"That  remains  to  be  seen,"  answered  the  goat. 

Just  ahead  was  another  garden  with  a  wall  too  high  for 
even  the  camel.  But  the  goat  spied  a  little  door  at  one 
end  of  the  wall.  He  went  in  and  feasted  on  the  good 
things  he  found.  When  he  returned,  he  said  to  the 
camel,  "Po  you  still  think  that  it  is  better  to  be  tall 
than  short?" 

"Perhaps  it  is  better  for  you  to  be  short  and  for  me  to 
be  tall,"  replied  the  camel. 

"That  is  just  what  I  think,"  said  the  goat.  "  So  youmay 
keep  your  hump,  and  I  will  keep  my  horns." 

Then  they  said  "Good  morning"  to  each  other  and 
parted. 

Read  the  story.  Tell  in  a  few  sentences  what  the 
animals  agreed  to  do.  Tell  in  a  few  sentences  what 
happened  at  the  first  garden.  What  happened  at  the 
second  garden?  How  was  the  dispute  settled  at  the 
last  ? 


Playing  the  Story  47 

Getting  Ready  to  Play  the  Story 

Tomorrow  you  may  play  the  story.  Talk  it  over  in 
class  and  choose  the  best  places  for  the  highway  and 
the  two  gardens.  If  the  camel  and  the  goat  play  their 
parts  well,  the  other  pupils  will  see  the  walls  in  their 
minds. 

Practice  saying  in  a  boastful  way,  "See  how  tall 
I  am!"  Show  how  the  camel  laughed  in  a  good- 
natured  way.  How  did  the  animals  say,  "Agreed!"? 
Show  how  the  camel  may  have  tried  to  get  into  the 
second  garden. 

When  thinking  over  the  story  before  your  next 
lesson,  you  need  not  plan  to  use  all  the  words  of  the 
book.  Try,  however,  to  remember  some  good  ex- 
pressions like  isnH  it  better,  do  you  still  think,  tall  than 
short,  you  may  keep.  Try  to  think  of  other  things  the 
animals  might  have  said  to  each  other.  What  did  they 
say  when  they  first  met  ? 

38.    PLAYING   THE    STORY 

If  you  like,  two  girls  may  play  the  story  the  first 
time,  and  then  two  boys  may  take  their  turn.  If 
there  is  time,  a  boy  and  a  girl  may  play  the  story  last 
of  all.  Be  sure  to  talk  in  short,  clear  sentences  as 
the  camel  and  the  goat  did. 

Which  set  of  players  gave  most  pleasure  to  the  class  ? 
Why?  Which  children  said  interesting  things  not  in 
the  book  ? 


48  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

39.   DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  Was  and  Were 


I. 


The  camel  was  taller  than  the  goat. 


2.   Both  animals  were  hungry. 

How  many  camels  are  mentioned  in  the  first  sen- 
tence? Is  was  or  were  used?  Does  the  second 
sentence  refer  to  one  animal  or  to  more  than  one? 
What  word  is  used  instead  of  was? 

Some  children  use  was  in  speaking  of  more  than 
one  person.  Read  the  following  sentences  several 
times : 

1.  Frank  was  feeding  his  canary. 

2.  The  children  were  feeding  the  birds. 

3.  The  plant  was  growing  rapidly. 

4.  The  plants  were  growing  rapidly. 

5.  The  fairy  was  waving  her  wand. 

6.  The  fairies  were  waving  their  wands. 

7.  The  kites  were  shaped  Kke  birds. 

8.  I  was  having  a  jolly  time. 

9.  We  were  playing  Christopher  Columbus. 
10.  The  autumn  tints  were  beautiful. 

Were  is  always  used  with  you,  even  though  but  one 
person  is  spoken  to. 

1.  You  were  a  good  helper,  John. 

2.  You  were  good  helpers,  boys. 

3.  May,  were  you  dreaming  of  fairies  ? 

4.  Girls,  were  you  watching  the  sunset  ? 


Story-Telling  Week  49 

You  were  Were  you  Was  she 

I  was  Were  they  Were  we 

We  were  Was  he  Was  I 

Use  the  sentences  and  the  groups  of  words  in  your 
three-minute  drills  for  a  few  days.  Read  once  each 
day  the  is  and  are  sentences  on  page  34. 

Was  is  used  in  speaking  of  one  person  or  thmg. 
Were  is  used  in  speaking  of  more  than  one  person  or 
thing. 

Were  is  always  used  with  the  word  you. 

40.    STORY-TELLING   WEEK 

If  any  of  you  take  music  lessons,  you  know  how 
important  practice  is.  It  is  just  as  important  in  learn- 
ing to  speak  well. 

For  a  week  —  five  lessons  —  you  may  take  all  your 
language  time  for  telling  short,  interestuig  stories. 
If  you  are  ready  the  moment  your  name  is  called, 
there  will  be  time  for  a  large  number  of  stories  during 
the  period.  Perhaps  during  story-telling  week  your 
teacher  will  be  able  to  take  a  little  time  at  opening 
exercises  for  this  work,  so  that  each  child  may  tell 
a  story  every  day. 

You  will  think  out  the  stories  at  home  or  during 
a  study  period.  Look  ahead  each  day  so  that  you 
will  know  what  you  are  to  do  on  the  following  day. 

Remember  that  you  are  trying  to  tell  an  interesting 
story  in  short,  clear  sentences,  and  to  let  your  voice 
help  as  much  as  possible.     At  the  end  of  the  week  your 


50  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

teacher  will  tell  you  how  much  you  have  improved 
as  the  result  of  the  practice. 

Would  it  not  be  pleasant  to  invite  your  principal 
or  a  special  teacher  to  hear  your  stories  one  day? 
Today  you  may  decide  whom  to  invite,  select  the  day, 
and  write  a  note  of  invitation. 

Here  is  a  note  written  to  a  drawing  teacher  : 

Dear  Miss  Smith, 

Last  Tuesday  we  drew  pictures  for  our  stories.  They 
are  hanging  up  in  our  room.  Will  you  please  come  some- 
time tomorrow  to  see  them? 

Miss  White's  Pupils 

Notice  where  Dear  Miss  Smith  is  written.  Spell 
dear  and  please.  What  is  the  mark  after  Miss  Smith 
called  ?  The  comma  sets  off  the  name  from  the  rest  of 
the  note. 

Is  the  paragraph  which  forms  the  note  indented? 
Miss  White's  Pupils  is  written  where  you  usually 
write  your  name.  You  will  learn  the  meaning  of  the 
mark  in  White's  a  little  later. 

Decide  what  to  say  in  your  note  of  invitation. 
Your  teacher  will  write  it  on  the  blackboard  as  you 
build  it  sentence  by  sentence.  The  entire  class  may 
copy  the  note,  and  one  of  the  best  may  be  sent  by 
messenger. 

The  First  Day 

These  pictures  tell  the  beginning  and  the  end  of 
a  story.     Tell  the  entire  story  in  a  few  short  sentences. 


Story-Telling  Week 


51 


52  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

If  you  wish,  each  boy  may  imagine  that  he  is  the  boy 
of  the  picture,  and  the  girls  may  imagine  that  the  boy 
is  their  brother. 

The  Second  Day 

Tell  the  most  interesting  thing  you  ever  saw  on 
your  way  home  from  school.  Keep  your  eyes  wide 
open ;  you  may  see  something  thrilling  today.  In- 
teresting things  are  always  happening,  but  we  do  not 
always  see  them. 

The  Third  Day 

Here  is  the  beginning  of  a  story.  You  may  finish 
it  in  three  or  four  sentences.  Do  not  decide  in  a  hurry 
what  came  into  the  house.  Try  to  astonish  your 
classmates. 

It  was  a  dark,  stormy  night.  The  rain  came  down  in 
torrents.  Suddenly  we  heard  a  loud  thump  on  the  porch. 
Mother  opened  the  door,  and  in  jumped  a 

The  Fourth  Day 

Today  you  may  tell  the  funniest  thing  that  ever 
happened  to  you  or  to  one  of  your  brothers  or  sisters. 
TeU  it  so  weU  that  the  listeners  will  have  a  merry  time. 

The  Fifth  Day 

This  is  the  last  day  of  story-telling  week.  Do  your 
very  best. 


Story-Telling  Week 


53 


Play  that  the  postman  in  the  picture  brought  the 
parcel  for  you.  Tell  an  interesting  story  about 
a  wonderful  gift  it  contained. 

Can  you  now  tell  a  short,  interesting  story  in  a  few 
clear  sentences?  If  you  can,  you  are  doing  good 
work.  Your  teacher  will  tell  you  if  you  improved 
during  story- telling  week. 


54  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

41.    COPYING   A   NOTE 

In  your  study  period  you  may  copy  the  following 
note.  Review  the  directions  for  study  on  page  28 
before  you  begin  to  copy.     Write  plainly. 

Dear  Frank, 

Will  you  come  over  on  Friday  after  school?  You 
never  can  guess  what  is  going  to  happen.  Only  my  pony 
and  I  know.     Come  and  have  some  fun. 

Jack 

Give  special  attention  to  the  spelling  of  guess,  dear, 
and  know. 

42.   DICTATION   LESSON 

Today  your  teacher  will  dictate  the  note  you  copied 
in  your  last  lesson.  She  will  read  each  sentence  once. 
Do  not  begin  to  write  a  sentence  until  you  have  said  it  to 
yourself.     Try  to  do  this  without  moving  your  lips. 

Open  your  books  and  correct  your  work.  Do  you 
think  there  is  any  excuse  for  making  mistakes  after  so 
much  study?  Remember  that  it  is  the  work  you  do 
the  first  time  that  counts  in  forming  good  habits. 

43.   WRITING   THE   NAMES    OF   THE   DAYS    OF 

THE   WEEK 

With  what  kind  of  letter  does  Tuesday  begin  in  the 
note  on  page  50  ?  Does  it  begin  with  a  capital  in  the 
question  you  just  answered? 

With  what  kind  of  letter  does  Friday  begin  in  the 
note  you  wrote  in  your  last  lesson?     Name  all  the 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  55 

days  of  the  week.     With  what  kind  of  letter  should 
they  all  be  written? 

Learn  to  spell  the  names  of  the  days  of  the  week. 
Which  ones  are  the  hardest? 

Sunday  Tuesday  Friday 

Monday  Wednesday  Saturday 

Thursday 

The  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  begin  with  capital  letters. 

This  is  the  fourth  rule  you  have  learned  for  using 
capital  letters.  The  others  are  on  pages  28,  31,  and 
40.  Review  them  and  write  on  the  blackboard  one 
sentence  for  each  rule. 

44.   DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

Pronounce  these  words  very  distinctly  after  your 
teacher : 


often 

was 

across 

let 

because 

from 

off 

toward 

burst 

for 

Should  you  like  a  ride  in  the  aeroplane  shown  on  the 
next  page  ?  You  may  have  it  if  you  run  to  the  ma- 
chine without  falling.  Go  as  fast  as  you  can  without 
stumbling.     Begin  where  the  boy  is  starting. 

Those  who  do  not  fall  may  choose  a  leader  to  drive 
the  aeroplane.  Following  the  leader,  fly  around  the 
room  twice,  waving  arms  and  going  on  tiptoe. 


56 


Self-Help  English  Lessons 


Playing  Santa  Clans  57 

Those  who  fall  may  try  once  more,  but  it  will  be 
too  late  for  a  ride. 

Use  the  words  and  the  following  sentences  in  your 
three-minute  drills  for  a  few  days.  Why  are  the 
sentences  written  in  a  paragraph  instead  of  singly 
as  in  the  other  drill  exercises?  Spell  the  words  in 
the  picture  once  each  day. 

I  often  dx)  errands  for  mother.  One  day  she  sent  me  to 
the  store.  I  started  off  on  my  wheel.  Just  across  the 
street  a  tire  burst.  Cousin  Tom  came  riding  toward  me. 
He  let  me  take  his  wheel  because  mother  was  in  a  hurry. 

For  your  next  lesson  you  will  need  a  piece  of  white 
or  colored  paper  at  least  ten  inches  long  and  eight 
inches  wide,  and  a  pair  of  scissors  if  you  have  them. 

45.    PLAYING    SANTA   CLAUS 

Christmas  is  coming,  so  today  you  may  play  Santa 
Claus. 

Cut  or  tear  a  stocking  from  waste  paper.  Using 
this  as  a  pattern,  make  a  stocking  for  some  member 
of  your  family  or  for  a  friend. 

Write  on  the  stocking  the  names  of  the  things  you 
would  like  to  put  into  it.  Pack  it  well,  but  remember 
that  even  a  Christmas  stocking  will  not  hold  everything. 

Shall  you  think  of  the  things  the  person  who  is  to 
get  the  stocking  would  like  to  have  ?  Or  shall  you  put 
into  it  anything  you  happen  to  think  of?  Write  the 
words  plainly,  and  be  sure  to  spell  them  correctly. 


58  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

When  the  stocking  is  full,  you  may  write  a  note  to 
go  with  it.  Here  is  one  written  by  a  Uttle  girl  to  her 
mother.     Why  do  you  think  it  made  her  mother  happy  ? 

Dear  Mother, 

I  made  this  stocking  for  you.  It  is  full  of  Christmas 
presents.     I  wish  they  were  real. 

Your  loving  Nellie 

If  the  stocking  is  neatly  made  and  the  note  is  care- 
fully written,  your  teacher  will  allow  you  to  take  them 
home  and  give  them  to  the  person  for  whom  you  made 
them. 

46.   BEING   A  REAL   SANTA   CLAUS 

Should  you  like  to  be  a  real  Santa  Claus?  If  there 
is  a  hospital  in  your  town,  or  any  other  place  where 
there  are  sick  or  homeless  children,  it  would  be  inter- 
esting to  make  a  picture  book  for  them.  If  there  is  no 
such  place  conveniently  near,  you  might  make  the 
book  for  younger  children  in  your  school. 

Bright  pictures  from  the  covers  of  magazines  are 
good  for  this  purpose.  Perhaps  some  of  you  will  bring 
several  pictures  so  that  you  may  share  with  children 
who  were  unable  to  find  any  pretty  ones. 

Mount  the  pictures  on  white  or  tinted  paper.  Why 
should  the  sheets  of  paper  be  all  of  the  same  size? 
Should  the  picture  cover  the  entire  sheet?  When  the 
pictures  are  mounted,  your  teacher  will  show  you  how 
to  fasten  them  together  into  a  book. 


Conversation  Lesson — Helping  at  Home       59 

The  note  to  go  with  the  book  may  be  team  work. 
Shall  you  tell  the  children  that  you  are  sorry  for  them, 
or  shall  you  write  a  cheery  note?  Think  of  all  the 
pleasant  things  you  might  say.  Your  teacher  will 
write  the  note  on  the  blackboard  as  you  build  it  sen- 
tence by  sentence. 

Copy  the  note.  One  that  is  very  neatly  written 
and  has  no  mistakes  may  be  sent  with  the  book. 

47.   CONVERSATION   LESSON  — HELPING   AT   HOME 

Which  Loved  Best? 

"I  love  you,  mother,"  said  little  John ; 
Then,  forgetting  his  work,  his  cap  went  on, 
And  he  was  off  to  the  garden  swing. 
Leaving  his  mother  the  wood  to  bring. 

"I  love  you,  mother,"  said  rosy  Nell ; 
"I  love  you  more  than  tongue  can  tell." 
Then  she  teased  and  pouted  full  half  the  day. 
Till  her  mother  rejoiced  when  she  went  to  play. 

"I  love  you,  mother,"  said  little  Fan, 
"Today  I'll  help  you  all  I  can; 
How  glad  I  am  that  school  doesn '  t  keep ! " 
So  she  rocked  the  babe  till  it  fell  asleep. 

Then,  stepping  softly,  she  took  the  broom. 
And  swept  the  floor,  and  dusted  the  room; 
Busy  and  happy  all  day  was  she. 
Helpful  and  cheerful  as  child  could  be. 


6o  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

"I  love  you,  mother,"  again  they  said  — 
Three  little  children  going  to  bed ; 
How  do  you  think  that  mother  guessed 
Which  of  them  really  loved  her  best  ? 

JOY   ALLISON 

Read  the  poem  aloud.  Tell  in  a  few  short  sentences 
what  John  did.  Tell  the  story  of  Nell  and  Fan  in  the 
same  way. 

Whose  work  was  getting  the  wood?  Would  it  have 
been  necessary  for  Fan  to  work  the  entire  day  if  the 
others  had  helped  ?  In  what  ways  were  John  and  Nell 
unfair  to  their  mother  and  to  Fan  ? 

Answer  the  question  in  the  last  line  of  the  poem. 

Talk  over  the  following  lines  and  learn  them  before 
your  next  lesson : 

Beautiful  hands  are  they  that  do 

Work  that  is  earnest  and  brave  and  true, 

Moment  by  moment  the  whole  day  through. 

48.    CONVERSATION   LESSON 

Helping  at  Home 

Did  you  ever  think  of  a  family  as  a  group  of  people 
who  love  each  other  and  wcrk  together  to  make  a  happy 
home? 

Talk  over  in  class  the  things  your  parents  do  for 
you.  How  do  these  things  help  make  a  happy  home? 
What  things  can  children  do  to  help  their  parents? 
How  do  these  things  help  make  the  home  happy? 


Conversation  Lesson  6i 

What  kind  of  work  do  you  do  at  home?  Think 
it  over,  and  be  ready  to  tell  clearly  what  you  do  and 
just  how  you  do  it. 

Here  is  a  helping  story  written  by  a  little  girl : 

I  clear  off  the  breakfast  table  every  morning.  I  fold 
the  tablecloth  neatly  and  put  it  into  a  drawer.  I  brush 
oflf  the  crumbs.  I  take  the  soiled  dishes  to  the  kitchen. 
Mother  washes  them. 

Study  this  story  carefully.  It  will  teach  you 
several  things  that  will  help  you  in  getting  ready  to 
tell  your  own  story. 

Is  the  story  told  in  short,  clear  sentences?  With 
what  kind  of  letter  does  each  sentence  begin?  What 
mark  is  used  at  the  end  of  each  sentence?  Are  all 
the  words  spelled  correctly  ? 

Although  the  writer  was  very  careful  about  these 
matters,  the  story  can  be  improved.  First  of  ail, 
find  a  sentence  that  has  nothing  to  do  with  clearing 
off  the  table.  Study  the  story  as  if  that  sentence  had 
not  been  written. 

Imagine  yourself  clearing  off  a  table.  What  would 
you  do  first  of  all?  Arrange  the  sentences  in  their 
correct  order. 

How  many  sentences  begin  with  the  same  word? 
Does  it  sound  well?  Try  to  change  at  least  one  of 
these  sentences  by  using  a  different  beginning  word. 
Does  the  story  sound  better  in  its  new  form?  What 
have  you  learned  today  about  story-telling? 


62  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

49.   IMPROVING    STORIES 
Read  the  following  stories  aloud  : 

I  always  take  care  of  the  chickens.  I  feed  them  every 
morning  and  evening.  I  give  them  fresh  water  three  times 
a  day.     I  crush  shells  for  them  now  and  then. 

I  always  take  care  of  the  chickens.  I  feed  them  every 
morning  and  evening.  Three  times  a  day  I  give  them  fresh 
water.     Now  and  then  I  crush  shells  for  them. 

Which  story  sounds  the  better  as  you  read  it  ?     Why  ? 
What   is   good   about   the   following   composition? 
Improve  it  in  every  way  you  can. 

We  have  two  window  boxes  in  our  room  at  school.  We 
set  out  six  geraniums.  We  watered  them  every  other  day. 
We  sent  the  flowers  to  sick  children.  We  washed  the  leaves 
whenever  they  were  dusty. 

So  far  you  have  been  trying  to  tell  an  interesting 
story  in  clear  sentences,  and  to  let  your  voice  help  in 
every  possible  way.  From  now  on,  do  these  things 
also : 

Tell  facts  in  their  right  order. 

Avoid  beginning  most  of  the  sentences  with  the  same 
word. 

50.   TELLING   HELPING   STORIES 

Today  you  will  tell  the  helping-at-home  stories. 
Perhaps  your  teacher  will  allow  you  to  clap  your  hands 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  63 

after  each  story  that  is  well  told  and  that  shows  that 
the  stor^'-teller  does  some  useful  work  at  home. 

51.    DICTATION   LESSON 

Study  this  lesson  as  you  would  a  copying  lesson. 
In  your  next  language  period  your  teacher  will  dictate 
it  for  you  to  write. 

Dear  Mary,  • 

Mother  is  teaching  me  to  make  cookies.  Last  Saturday 
she  asked  me  to  get  a  cup  of  sugar.  I  got  salt  instead. 
Shall  I  send  you  one  of  the  cookies  ? 

Your  loving  friend, 

Emily 

Why  is  Saturday  begun  with  a  capital  letter  ?  Give 
special  attention  to  the  spelling  of  sugar,  loving,  instead, 
friend,  dear,  and  cookies.     Learn  also  to  spell  cooky. 

What  mark  is  used  after  Your  loving  frieiui  ?  It  sets 
off  these  words  from  the  name  that  follows.  Omitting 
'this  comma  would  not  make  the  note  any  more  difficult 
to  read,  but  it  is  the  custom  to  use  it.     Do  not  forget  it. 

52.    DAILY   DRILL  EXERCISE 
A  Language  Drive 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  people  having  a  drive  to  raise 
money  for  the  Red  Cross,  or  to  get  members  for  the 
Boy  Scouts,  or  for  some  other  important  work  ? 

Today  you  will  begin  a  drive  to  get  rid  of  the  word 
ainH.    Many  children  — and  some  grown-ups,  too  — 


64 


Self-Help  English  Lessons 


use  it  instead  of  is  not  or  isn't,  are  not  or  aren't,  or  am 
not. 


Read  the  following  sentences  rapidly  several  times : 

1.  It  isn't  raining  hard  today. 

2.  The  book  isn't  interesting. 

3.  It  isn't  time  to  go  home. 

4.  Our  baby  isn't  a  year  old  yet. 

5.  My  pencil  isn't  sharp. 

6.  My  sister  isn't  as  tall  as  I  am. 

7.  Isn't  autumn  a  pleasant  season  ! 

8.  The  Eskimo  isn't  afraid  of  bears. 

9.  Isn't  your  work  finished  ? 

What  word  do  you  use  instead  of  is  when  speaking 
of  more  than  one  person  or  thing  ? 

1.  We  are  not  going  to  play  ball. 

2.  The  seeds  are  not  up  yet. 

3.  Perhaps  they  are  not  good. 

4.  Why  aren't  the  windows  open  ? 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  65 

5.  We  are  not  going  to  write  today. 

6.  The  nuts  aren't  ripe  yet. 

7.  You  aren't  as  old  as  I  am. 

Use  the  sentences  in  your  three-minute  drills  for 
a  few  days,  and  also  the  following  groups  of  words : 


I  am  not 

She  is  not 

We  are  not 

They  aren't 

You  are  not 

It  is  not 

We  aren't 

You  aren't 

He  is  not 

It  isn't 

They  are  not 

He  isn't 

Should  it  happen  that  no  children  in  your  class  use 
the  word  ainH,  so  much  the  better.  In  that  case 
choose  some  wrong  form  that  is  used,  and  carry  on 
the  drive. 

Making  the  Drive  Successful 

When  we  try  to  break  up  a  bad  language  habit, 
such  as  using  a  wrong  word,  it  is  not  enough  to  use 
the  correct  form  in  the  language  period.  In  your 
number  lessons  you  have  learned  that  seven  and  eight 
are  fifteen.  Of  what  use  would  this  fact  be  to  you  if 
outside  of  school  you  said  that  seven  and  eight  are  four- 
teen? It  is  just  the  same  with  language  lessons.  We 
learn  the  correct  form  in  the  language  lesson  so  that 
we  may  always  use  it,  in  school  and  out  of  school. 

Team  Work 

Divide  the  school  into  two  teams.  Be  sure  that 
each  team  has  a  fair  share  of  the  children  who  do  not 
often  make  the  mistake  you  are  fighting. 


66  Self-Hclp  English  Lessons 

Keep  a  score  on  the  blackboard.  Each  time  a  pupil 
is  heard  to  use  the  word  you  are  trying  to  drive  out  of 
the  language,  put  a  mark  against  the  team  of  which 
he  is  a  member.  Wliile  the  drive  is  going  on,  perhaps 
your  teacher  will  allow  you  to  correct  this  mistake 
whenever  you  hear  it,  no  matter  what  work  is  being 
done.  At  the  end  of  the  week,  erase  the  marks,  give 
a  star  to  the  winning  team,  and  start  again. 

Try  to  help  your  team  in  every  possible  way.  What 
is  the  most  important  way  in  which  you  can  help? 
If  you  hear  any  member  of  your  team  use  the  wrong 
word  outside  of  school,  call  his  attention  to  the  error 
in  a  pohte  way.  Remember  that  you  are  playing 
a  game,  and  each  one  must  do  everything  he  can  to 
help  his  side  win.  Try  to  train  your  ears  so  that  the 
wrong  word  will  sound  very  unpleasant  to  you. 

Home  Work 
Ask  your  parents  to  help  by  correcting  you  when  you 
use  the  wrong  word  at  home.     Perhaps  you  can  all  try 
together  to  drive  ain't  out  of  the  language,  but  do  not 
correct  any  one  who  is  not  playing  the  game  with  you. 

53.   A   LANGUAGE   GAME 

Colors 
One  child  selects  a  color.     The  others  try  to  guess 
what  it  is  by  asking  questions.     If  the  color  blue  were 
chosen,  for  instance,  the  following  questions  and  an- 
swers might  be  used : 


Following  Directions  67 

I  am  thinking  of  a  color. 

Is  it  the  color  of  Mary's  dress? 

No,  it  isn't  red. 

Is  it  the  color  of  the  crayon? 

No,  it  isn't  white. 

Is  it  the  color  of  the  sky  ? 

This  is  the  right  color,  and  instead  of  answering,  the 
child  who  selected  the  color  claps  his  hands.  The  one 
who  guessed  the  color  now  chooses  another,  and  the 
game  goes  on.     ;. 

Play  the  game  rapidly.  Any  children  who  use  the 
word  you  are  fighting  against  must  pay  a  forfeit  at 
the  end  of  the  game.  Repeating  five  isn't  sentences 
given  by  the  class  makes  a  good  forfeit. 

For  your  next  lesson  you  wiU  need  a  sheet  of  paper, 
a  ruler,  a  lead  pencil,  and  a  pair  of  scissors  if  possible. 
Be  sure  that  these  things  are  ready. 

54.    FOLLOWING   DIRECTIONS 

We  study  language  not  only  to  use  better  language 
ourselves,  but  to  understand  more  easily  the  language 
used  by  other  people.  In  this  lesson  you  will  have 
practice  in  following  simple  directions.  You  will  be 
told  to  do  certain  things.  They  are  very  simple,  and 
you  will  have  no  trouble  if  you  think  before  you  act. 

Suppose  this  were  the  direction :  Touch  the  right 
edge  of  your  desk.  If  you  act  without  thinking,  you 
may,  in  your  haste,  touch  the  wrong  edge,  but  if  you 


68  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

take  the  following  steps  in  their  order,  you  will  have 
no  trouble : 

1.  Think  what  the  direction  means. 

2.  Have  in  your  mind  a  clear  picture  of  what  you  are 
to  do. 

3.  Act. 

Your  teacher  will  read  ten  simple  directions.  Do  not 
act  until  you  are  certain  that  you  will  do  the  right 
thing.  Possibly  a  signal  to  act  may  be  given  when  you 
have  thought  for  a  moment. 

Read  the  following  directions  and  carry  them  out 
when  you  have  thought  and  seen  in  your  mind  just  what 
you  are  to  do.  Do  not  wait  until  you  finish  reading 
a  direction  before  beginning  to  make  a  picture  of  what 
you  are  to  do.  In  the  first  direction,  as  soon  as  you 
read,  "Make  a  dot  on  the  upper  edge  of  your  paper," 
think  the  upper  edge.  See  it  in  your  mind.  Then  when 
you  finish  reading  the  direction,  you  will  know  just 
where  to  put  the  dot. 

1 .  Make  a  dot  on  the  upper  edge  of  your  paper  five 
inches  from  the  left  corner. 

2.  Make  a  dot  on  the  left  edge  five  inches  from  the 
upper  corner.    . 

3.  Make  a  dot  five  inches  below  the  dot  on  the  upper 
edge. 

4.  See  if  the  last  dot  you  made  is  five  inches  from  the 
dot  on  the  left  edge. 

5.  Draw  a  light  line  from  the  dot  on  the  upper  edge 
to  the  dot  you  made  last. 


A  Laitguage  Game  69 

6.  Draw  a  line  from  the  dot  on  the  left  edge  to  meet 
the  first  line  you  drew. 

7.  Cut  out  on  the  lines  you  have  drawn.  If  you 
have  no  scissors,  fold  and  tear. 

What  shape  is  the  paper  you  have  cut?  If  you 
made  a  mistake,  go  back  to  the  first  direction  and  find 
out  where  you  went  wrong.  You  will  find  that  some- 
where you  did  not  first  have  in  your  mind  a  correct 
picture  of  what  you  were  to  do. 

55.   A   LANGUAGE   GAME 
Following  Directions 

In  this  game  you  are  to  give  directions  to  the  other 
pupils. 

Stand  in  line  around  the  room.  The  first  child  gives 
a  direction  to  the  second  child.  "Touch  your  left 
shoulder  with  your  right  hand,"  for  instance.  The 
second  child  acts  promptly,  after  thinking  quickly,  and 
immediately  gives  a  direction  to  the  third  child,  and 
so  on. 

The  entire  class  watches,  and  hands  are  raised  at  once 
if  a  mistake  is  made.  The  one  making  the  mistake 
drops  out  of  the  game,  and  the  next  pupil  performs  the 
act.  The  point  of  the  game  is  to  send  all  the  pupils 
except  one  to  their  seats.  This  one  pupil  wins  the 
game. 

This  game  is  good  fun  if  it  is  played  quickly  and 
everybody  tries  hard  not  to  get  caught.     Think  of 


70  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

plenty  of  directions,  so  that  there  will  be  no  delay. 
Remember  that  the  feet  as  well  as  the  hands  can  act. 

56.    DICTATION   LESSON 

Study  the  following  note  as  you  would  for  a  copying 
lesson.  Copy  it  if  you  wish  to  do  so,  but  in  any  case 
make  sure  of  it.  In  your  next  language  period  you  will 
write  it  from  dictation. 

Dear  Bob, 

Last  Wednesday  we  played  a  game  at  school.  A  girl  told 
me  to  bend  my  right  knee.  What  do  you  think  I  did?  I 
raised  my  left  knee  almost  to  my  chin.  That  sent  me  to 
my  seat. 

Your  friend  Will 

Give  special  attention  to  the  spelling  of  Wednesday, 
right  knee,  almost,  friend,  raised. 

57.  A  STORY  TO   LEARN 

You  have  often  told  original  stories.  Today  you  will 
begin  to  learn  short  stories  told  by  other  people.  Read 
the  following  story  carefully: 

The  Boy  and  the  Nuts 

A  boy  put  his  hand  into  a  jar  of  nuts.  He  grasped  so 
many  that  he  could  not  get  his  hand  out.  This  frightened 
him,  and  he  burst  into  tears.  "Drop  half  the  nuts  and 
your  hand  will  come  out,"  said  a  man  who  was  standing 
near  by.  The  boy  took  this  advice  and  had  no  further 
trouble. 


Study  of  a  Poem  71 

Learn  this  story  so  that  you  can  tell  it.  It  will  not 
matter  if  you  change  a  word  here  and  there,  but  make 
no  important  changes.  The  nearer  you  keep  to  the 
model  the  better.  Notice  these  expressions :  into  the 
jar,  grasped  so  many,  burst  into  tears,  drop  half  the  nuts, 
took  his  advice. 

Several  children  may  tell  the  stor>^,  and  the  rest  may 
decide  if  it -was  told  naturally  and  well.  Each  pupil 
is  to  be  ready  to  tell  this  story  at  any  time.  Tell  it  to 
some  one  at  home. 

Be  sure  to  keep  up  your  language  drive. 

58.    STUDY   OF  A   POEM 

Hiawatha's  Childhood 

Then  the  little  Hiawatha 
Learned  of  every  bird  its  language, 
Learned  their  names  and  all  their  secrets, 
How  they  built  their  nests  in  summer. 
Where  they  hid  themselves  in  winter. 
Talked  with  them  whene'er  he  met  them, 
Called  them  ''Hiawatha's  Chickens." 

Of  all  beasts  he  learned  the  language. 
Learned  their  names  and  all  their  secrets, 
How  the  beavers  built  their  lodges, 
Where  the  squirrels  hid  their  acorns, 
How  the  reindeer  ran  so  swiftly. 
Why  the  rabbit  was  so  timid, 
Talked  with  them  whene'er  he  met  them, 
Called  them  ''Hiawatha's  Brothers." 


72  SelJ-Iielp  English  Lessons 

Did  you  get  acquainted  with  Hiawatha  in  the  lower 
grades?  Listen  carefully  while  your  teacher  reads  to 
you  the  two  stanzas  about  his  childhood. 

Did  Hiawatha  learn  about  animals  and  birds  from 
books  ?  What  did  he  learn  by  using  his  eyes  ?  What 
did  he  learn  by  using  his  ears?  What  did  he  call  the 
birds  ?     What  did  he  call  the  other  animals  ? 

What  things  in  your  neighborhood  might  you  learn 
about  by  using  your  eyes  or  your  ears?  Talk  it  over 
in  class  with  your  teacher.  In  stating  an  opinion,  do 
not  give  simply  one  sentence.  Tell  in  a  few  short 
sentences  all  that  you  have  to  say  about  a  certain 
thing. 

In  a  week,  each  of  you  may  be  ready  to  tell  some 
new  thing  you  learned  by  using  your  eyes  or  your  ears. 
Keep  your  secret  until  the  time  comes  to  tell  it  in  class. 

59.   WRITING   A   CLASS   STORY 

Which  of  "Hiawatha's  Brothers"  live  in  your 
neighborhood?  Choose  the  one  about  which  the  class 
knows  most,  and  talk  over  some  of  its  interesting 
habits.  If  you  live  where  it  is  cold,  you  might  tell 
how  the  little  "brother"  takes  care  of  himself  when  the 
ground  is  covered  with  snow.  If  you  live  in  a  warmer 
part  of  the  country,  tell  an  interesting  story  about  one 
of  the  animal's  habits. 

Different  children  may  give  beginning  sentences. 
Choose  a  good  one  for  the  blackboard.     Finish  the 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  73 

story  sentence  by  sentence,  and  then  read  it.  Try  to 
improve  it. 

Are  you  remembering  to  tell  things  in  your  stories  in 
short,  clear  sentences?  Remember  also  to  tell  facts 
in  their  right  order  and  not  to  begin  too  many  sentences 
with  the  same  word. 

Copy  the  story  for  seat  work.  Be  sure  to  tell  your 
teacher  if  you  cannot  see  it  plainly  from  where  you  sit. 

60.   DAILY  DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  Teach  and  Learn 

Read  the  note  on  page  63,  and  notice  how  the  word 
teaching  is  used.  Who  was  teaching?  Who  was 
learning?  Could  Emily's  mother  learn  for  her? 
Would  your  father  teach  you  to  swim  or  learn  you  to 
swim? 

Use  teach,  teaching,  learnt,  or  learned  wherever  there 
is  a  blank  space  in  the  following  sentences  : 

1.  Birds their  young  to  fly. 

2.  The  baby  birds easily. 

3.  Will  you  please me  to  paint? 

4.  I  will  try  to quickly. 

5.  Who  will me  to  make  a  kite? 

6.  Mother  is me  to  sew. 

7.  Uncle  Ned  is me  to  swim. 

8.  When  I  have ,  I  will you. 

9.  Does  the  hen her  chickens  to  scratch? 

Each  child  may  give  one  sentence  containing  teach 
and  one  containing  learn. 


74  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

Use  these  sentences  in  your  daily  drills  for  a  few 
days,  but  do  not  give  up  the  drive.  Read  the  sentences 
on  page  48  once  each  day.  Turn  to  them  quickly,  so 
that  no  time  will  be  lost. , 

61.    CONVERSATION    LESSON 

Birds  in  Winter 

Look  at  the  pictures.  Which  kind  of  winter  do  you 
have  where  you  live?  Where  might  you  go  to  find 
the  other  kind  ? 

Why  are  the  children  in  the  second  picture  not  feed- 
ing the  birds?  What  are  they  doing  for  their  Httle 
friends  ? 

Play  that  you  are  one  of  the  birds  in  the  first  picture, 
and  tell  about  your  feast.  The  birds  on  the  arbor  are 
picking  at  lumps  of  suet  hung  up  for  them. 

62.    CONVERSATION   LESSON  — BIRD   FRIENDS 

The  Spaniards  and  the  Birds 

Long  ago  when  Christopher  Columbus  was  sailing  among 
some  islands  far  to  the  south,  large  flocks  of  birds  flew  about 
his  ships.  They  seemed  glad  to  see  the  strangers,  and 
were  very  friendly.  The  Spaniards  raised  their  bows, 
and  the  arrows  went  singing  through  the  air.  Many 
of  the  birds  dropped  into  the  sea,  and  the  rest  flew  away. 
From  that  time  on,  the  birds  were  afraid  of  men. 

The  Indians  who  lived  in  the  islands  loved  the  birds  just 
as  Hiawatha  did.  They  never  forgave  the  Spaniards  for 
robbing  them  of  the  birds'  friendship. 


Conversation  Lesson  —  Bird  Friends         75 


Winter 


Winter 


76  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

What  things  do  children  sometimes  do  that  frighten 
and  even  kill  birds?  What  useful  things  do  birds  do 
for  us?  Tell  in  a  few  clear  sentences  what  you  can 
do  to  show  your  friendship  for  the  birds.  Perhaps  some 
one  will  think  of  some  plan  that  you  can  all  help  carry 
out. 

Before  your  next  lesson,  learn  this  stanza  of  poetry  : 

He  prayeth  best,  who  loveth  best 
All  things  both  great  and  small ; 
For  the  dear  God  who  loveth  us, 
He  made  and  loveth  all. 

63.   DICTATION   LESSON 

Today  you  will  have  a  dictation  lesson  which  you 
have  never  seen. 

64.   WRITING   NOTES 

Do  you  remember  that  many  weeks  ago  you  invited 
some  one  to  hear  you  tell  stories  ?  Tomorrow  you  are 
to  tell  your  secrets  —  the  things  you  have  learned  by 
using  your  eyes  and  your  ears,  or  both.  Would  it  not 
be  pleasant  to  invite  the  same  person  again,  and  show 
how  much  you  have  improved  ? 

Talk  over  in  class  the  things  you  would  like  to  say 
in  your  note.  When  you  have  decided  what  the  note 
shall  contain,  each  of  you  may  write  one.  Turn  back 
to  page  50  to  see  how  the  note  should  be  arranged. 

Your  teacher  will  select  one  of  the  best  invitations, 
to  be  sent  by  messenger. 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  77 

65.    TELLING    SECRETS 

Today  you  will  tell  your  secrets.  Tell  the  story  in 
short,  clear  sentences,  and  be  sure  to  put  things  in  their 
right  order. 

Here  are  two  stories  to  start  off  with : 

Every  day  some  English  sparrows  come  to  our  back  yard. 
I  wondered,  where  they  go  at  night.  Father  said  I  could 
find  their  hotel  if  I  watched.  Where  do  you  think  it  was? 
They  went  into  two  big  evergreen  trees  in  the  park. 

I  began  to  use  my  eyes  about  a  week  ago.  The  first 
thing  I  spied  was  a  lot  of  buds  on  a  horse-chestnut  tree. 
I  opened  one  bud  and  it  was  full  of  fuzzy  Httle  leaves. 
Perhaps  they  were  the  children  of  the  leaves  that  dropped 
off. 

When  the  stories  have  all  been  told,  ask  your  visitor 
if  you  have  improved. 

66.    DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

You  have  had  all  the  following  words  in  your  drills. 
Review  them  today,  and  if  there  are  any  which  still 
trouble  a  member  of  the  class,  make  a  list  of  them  and 
use  them  for  a  few  days  in  your  drills. 


catch 

across 

which 

whisper 

get 

burst 

white 

doing 

ate 

for 

what 

running 

just 

from 

when 

making 

78  Self -Help  English  Lessons 


can 

because 

why 

going 

often 

toward 

wheel 

having 

was 

off 

where 

singing 

let 

while 

whip 

ringing 

There  are  probably  other  words  which  some  of  you 
mispronounce.  Draw  a  ladder  on  the  blackboard,  and 
whenever  a  common  word  is  mispronounced,  write  it 
on  the  ladder.  Practice  running  up  and  down  the 
ladder. 

67.   FABLES   TO   LEARN 

The  Goose  and  the  Golden  Eggs 

A  man  once  had  a  goose  that  laid  golden  eggs.  He 

thought  she  must  be  full  of  gold;    so  he  killed  her.  He 

found  too  late  that  she  was  exactly  Uke  other  geese.  In 
trying  to  get  rich  quickly,  he  lost  the  little  he  had. 

The  Thirsty  Crow 

A  thirsty  crow  once  found  a  pitcher  containing  a  little 
water.  He  tried  to  drink,  but  his  beak  was  not  long  enough. 
Then  he  tried  to  upset  the  pitcher.  This  he  was  not  strong 
enough  to  do.  Noticing  some  pebbles  near  by,  he  dropped 
them  one  by  one  into  the  pitcher.  The  water  rose  to  the 
top,  and  the  crow  drank  his  fill. 

Read  the  fables.  A  fable  is  a  short  story,  usually 
about  animals,  that  teaches  a  lesson.  What  lesson 
does  the  first  fable  teach?  What  does  the  second 
fable  teach  ? 


Siiidy  of  a  Poem  79 

Spell  too  as  in  too  late.  Spell  once.  Use  each  of  the 
following  expressions  in  a  sentence  of  your  own : 
found  too  late,  exactly  alike,  once  came,  noticing  some 
pebbles,  into  the  pitcher. 

Pronounce  pitcher  very  distinctly.  Now  pronounce 
picture.     Use  picture  in  a  sentence. 

Each  of  you  may  choose  one  of  the  fables  to  learn  by 
heart.  Read  it  over  several  times.  Make  no  im- 
portant change  in  the  language.  Learning  these  little 
stories  by  heart  ^i\\  often  help  you  to  use  better  words 
and  groups  of  words.  Besides  this,  these  fables  are 
very  old,  and  you  will  always  be  glad  to  know  them. 

68.   STUDY   OF   A   POEM 

Sympathy 

A  plump  little  girl  and  a  thin  little  bird 

Were  out  in  the  meadow  together. 

"How  cold  that  poor  little  bird  must  be 
Without  any  clothes  hke  mine,"  said  she, 

"Although  it  is  sunshiny  weather." 

"A  nice  httle  girl  is  that,"  piped  he, 

"But,  oh,  how  cold  she  must  be !     For  see, 
She  hasn't  a  single  feather." 
So  each  shivered  to  think  of  the  other  poor  thing, 
Although  it  was  sunshiny  weather. 

MARY   MAPES   DODGE 

Listen  carefully  while  your  teacher  reads  the  poem 
to  you.     Do  you  see  the  picture? 


8o  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

Sympathy  is  another  name  for  the  feeling  of  pity 
that  the  girl  and  the  bird  had  for  each  other. 

What  word  in  the  first  line  tells  how  the  little  girl 
looked  ?  What  word  tells  how  the  bird  looked  ?  What 
did  the  girl  say  ? 

What  word  in  the  second  stanza  shows  how  the  bird 
spoke?  What  did  he  say?  Which  line  shows  that 
the  girl  and  the  bird  felt  sorry  for  each  other  ?  Did 
either  of  them  need  pity  ?  Why  did  they  pity  each 
other  ? 

Read  the  poem.  Remember  how  the  girl  and  the 
bird  felt  when  you  read  what  they  say.  What  do  you 
like  about  the  poem? 

Will  some  girl  volunteer  to  bring  a  doll  for  the  next 
lesson  ?    Keep  it  wrapped  up  until  it  is  needed. 

69.   DESCRIBING   CLEARLY 

Are  you  still  using  your  eyes  and  your  ears  ?  Spring 
is  coming,  and  then  wonderful  things  will  happen. 
Watch  closely  so  that  you  will  see  the  birds  when  they 
come,  and  keep  your  ears  open  so  that  you  will  hear 
them  sing.  Watch  the  buds  on  the  trees,  and  keep 
a  sharp  lookout  for  the  early  spring  flowers.  When- 
ever you  have  a  secret  to  tell,  your  teacher  will  give 
you  time  to  tell  it  either  in  class  or  during  the  open- 
ing exercises. 

In  order  that  you  may  be  ready  to  describe  the  birds 
and  the  flowers  when  you  see  them,  you  will  now  have 


Describing  Clearly  8i 

practice  in  describing  things.     Here  is  the  way  a  little 
girl  described  her  favorite  toy  : 

The  toy  I  love  best  is  my  own  dear  rooster.  He  is 
made  of  red  flannel  and  has  shiny  black  buttons  for  eyes. 
He  is  as  fat  as  butter.  His  legs  are  stiff,  but  he  can  stand 
on  them.  When  I  set  him  on  the  table,  he  looks  as  if  he 
wanted  to  crow. 

Do  you  see  the  rooster  plainly  ?  If  you  do,  the  word 
picture  is  a  good  one. 

Which  of  the  following  word  pictures  helps  you  the 
more  to  see  the  doll  ?     Why  ? 

My  doll  Sunbeam  is  beautiful.  She  has  a  lovely  cloak 
and  the  prettiest  hat  you  ever  saw. 

My  doll  Sunbeam  has  blue  eyes  and  red  cheeks.  She 
wears  a  red  velvet  cloak  trimmed  with  white  fur.  Her 
big  red  hat  looks  lovely  on  her  yellow  curls. 

Today  you  may  all  help  describe  the  doll  that  one 
of  you  brought  to  school.  The  story  may  be  written 
on  the  blackboard.  Do  not  be  satisfied  until  you  have 
made  such  a  good  word  picture  that  when  you  tell  your 
mother  about  it  tonight,  she  will  see  the  doll  as  clearly 
as  you  saw  it  with  your  eyes. 

For  your  next  lesson,  each  of  you  may  describe 
some  toy  that  you  have.  If  possible,  bring  the  toy 
to  school.  Do  not  let  any  one  see  it  until  you  have 
described  it. 


82  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

70.    DESCRIBING   TOYS 

Today  you  will  describe  your  toys.  Remember  to 
talk  in  short,  clear  sentences ;  to  let  your  voice  help  in 
every  possible  way ;  to  tell  things  in  a  good  order ;  and 
to  avoid  beginning  too  many  sentences  with  the  same 
word. 

When  3^ou  have  finished,  unwrap  your  toy,  and  the 
class  will  tell  you  if  you  made  a  good  word  picture  of  it. 

71.    TELLING    STORIES   FROM   A   PICTURE 

You  may  each  describe  one  of  the  toys  in  the  picture, 
or  tell  one  of  the  little  stories  the  artist  put  into  it.  You 
might  tell  about  the  frolic  of  the  dolls,  or  the  good 
time  the  bear  is  having  reading  about  his  brothers 
and  sisters.  Other  good  stories  might  be  told  about  the 
Japanese  doll  riding  on  the  elephant,  or  of  the  sheep 
riding  on  the  —  what  ? 

Make  your  stories  short,  but  put  into  them  the  fun 
that  the  artist  put  into  the  pictures. 

72.    WRITING   RIDDLES 

In  your  next  study  period,  you  may  play  that  you 
are  one  of  Hiawatha's  "  Chickens"  or  one  of  his 
"Brothers."  Make  a  riddle  in  which  you  describe 
yourself.  Have  it  ready  to  read  to  the  class  in  your 
next  lesson. 

Make  the  riddle  short.  Be  sure  to  use  short,  clear 
sentences. 


Guessing  the  Riddles 


83 


73.    GUESSING   THE   RIDDLES 

As  each  riddle  is  read,  the  class  may  guess  the 
answer.  Your  teacher  will  then  take  the  riddles,  and 
in  a  day  or  two  she  will  give  them  back  to  you  to  be 
corrected.  If  they  can  be  improved  in  any  way,  write 
them  again. 

Should  you  like  to  make  a  little  book  by  fastening  the 
riddles  together  ?    This  will  make  a  good  book  to  leave 


84  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

for  next  year's  class  or  to  lend  to  some  other  grade. 
Some  of  you  will  probably  be  glad  to  take  it  home  to 
show  to  your  parents. 

74.   A   LANGUAGE    GAME 
Have  You  Seen  My  Lamb? 

A  corner  of  the  room  is  chosen  for  the  sheepfold,  and 
a  pupil  is  selected  to  be  the  sheep.  The  sheep  says  to 
any  child,  Frank,  for  instance,  "Frank,  have  you  seen 
my  lamb?"  Frank  answers,  "How  does  your  lamb 
look?" 

The  sheep  then  describes  her  lamb.  She  must  be 
careful  not  to  look  at  the  child  being  described.  She 
might  say  something  like  this : 

"My  lamb  has  blue  eyes  and  dark  hair.  She  wears  a 
blue  dress  trimmed  with  white.  Her  sailor  collar  is  white. 
She  has  on  a  plaid  tie." 

Frank  then  names  the  child  described,  and  this  child 
immediately  runs  to  the  fold.  If  she  reaches  the  fold 
without  being  tagged  by  Frank,  the  game  begins  again. 
If  tagged,  the  lamb  becomes  "it"  and  takes  the  place 
of  the  sheep. 

75.    SPELLING   REVIEW 

Did  you  ever  think  that  every  spelling  lesson  is  a 
language  lesson  ?  Why  ?  You  have  probably  had  the 
following  words  in  your  spelling  lessons,  but  they  are  so 


Dictionary  Lesson 


85 


often  misspelled,  that  it  will  do  no  harm  to  review  them 
once  more.  You  have  had  most  of  them  in  your 
dictation  lessons. 

Give  oral  sentences  for  the  groups  of  words  like 
"write  a  letter." 

Review  the  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  on  page 
55,  and  also  the  words  on  page  43. 


built 

burst 

write  a  letter 

every 

^    loving 

dear  friend 

guess 

picture 

know  my  lesson 

•instead 

please 

all  right 

writing 

stopped 

the  right  hand 

almost 

stories 

buy  a  pencil 

asked 

toward 

a  blue  dress 

because 

does 

a  piece  of  cake 

done 

many 

last  week 

sugar 

beginning 

their  work 

76.    DICTIONARY   LESSON 

When  you  are  a  little  older,  you  will  often  need  to  use 
the  dictionary  when  you  wish  to  write  a  word  you 
cannot  spell.  You  may  now  begin  to  get  ready  for  this 
important  practice. 

Do  you  know  the  alphabet?  If  you  do  not,  make 
sure  of  it ;  that  is  the  first  step. 

Write  the  words  in  the  columns  of  the  last  lesson  on 
small  slips  of  paper  and  then  arrange  them  in  this 
way  :  Put  all  the  words  beginning  with  the  letter  a  to- 
gether, then  all  those   beginning  with  h,   and  so  on 


86  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

through  the  alphabet.  When  you  have  arranged  the 
words  on  your  desk  in  this  order,  copy  them  if  there 
is  time. 

Seat  Work 

Every  day  for  a  week  you  may  copy  from  your 
spellers  twenty-five  words  and  arrange  them  as  you 
did  today. 

77.    CONVERSATION    LESSON 

Politeness 

Turn  back  to  page  59.  What  did  Nell  do  half  the 
day  ?  How  did  this  make  her  mother  feel  ?  Was  Nell 
polite  to  her  mother?  There  are  many  ways  of  being 
impolite  besides  the  way  in  which  Nell  acted.  Read 
the  following  rhyme : 

Hearts,  like  doors,  will  ope'  with  ease 

To  very,  very  little  keys  ; 
And  don't  forget  that  two  are  these : 

"I  thank  you,  sir,"  and  "If  you  please." 

The  little  politeness  keys  are  very  important.  If 
your  mother  does  something  for  you,  you  say,  "Thank 
you,  Mother."  What  do  you  say  when  your  father 
does  something  for  you?  What  do  you  say  to  your 
sister  when  she  finds  your  book  for  you  ? 

If  you  wished  to  thank  some  man  whose  name  you 
did  not  know,  you  would  say,  "Thank  you,  sir."  To 
a  strange  lady  you  would  say,  "Thank  you,  madam." 


Conversation  Lesson  87 

Here  are  some  very  common  little  politeness  keys : 
Excuse  me,  If  you  please,  You  are  welcome,  With 
pleasure.  Thank  you,  Certainly.  When  talking  to 
an  older  person,  be  sure  also  to  use  the  words  Mother, 
Father,  or  the  name  of  the  person  to  whom  you  are 
speaking. 

What  should  you  say  if  you  were  to  pass  in  front  of 
a  person  because  there  was  not  room  enough  to  pass 
behind  him?  if  your  mother  asked  you  if  you  wished 
another  piece  of  €ake  ?  if  she  asked  if  you  wished  some- 
thing of  which  you  had  had  enough?  if  your  sister 
thanked  you  for  lending  her  a  toy?  if  your  father 
brought  you  a  new  book  ?  if  you  accidentally  ran  into 
your  brother  ?  if  a  friend  asked  you  for  help  of  some 
kind? 

78.    CONVERSATION   LESSON 

Helping  at  School 

Do  not  reply  to  the  following  questions  with  a  single 
sentence.     Think,  and  give  reasons  for  your  opinion. 

In  what  ways  is  a  school  like  a  family?  Whom  do 
you  obey  at  home  and  at  school?  What  chances  to 
help  do  you  have  on  the  playground?  In  what  ways 
can  you  help  others  in  the  classroom? 

What  things  do  children  sometimes  do  at  school  that 
are  unfair  to  other  children?  Does  politeness  matter 
at  school?     How? 

Should  you  like  to  do  something  all  together  for 


88  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

your  school  ?  Making  a  collection  of  pictures  to  use  in 
language  work  would  be  a  great  help.  If  you  have  at 
home  magazines  that  are  not  to  be  saved,  cut  out  a 
picture  that  tells  a  good  story.  Perhaps  some  of  you 
can  bring  several  to  make  up  for  those  who  have  none 
to  bring. 

Pictures  that  show  how  people  live  in  different  parts 
of  the  world  are  good.  Some  of  you  may  have  picture 
post  cards  from  far-away  lands.  If  these  pictures  are 
kept  in  a  large  envelope,  they  will  be  very  useful. 
When  you  have  once  started  a  collection,  you  will  be 
interested  in  adding  to  it. 

In  a  few  days  you  will  have  a  lesson  on  these  pictures. 

79.    DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  Saw  and  Seen 

Imagine  that  while  playing  on  the  seashore  you  find  a 
box  washed  up  by  the  waves.  What  do  you  see  when 
you  open  the  box  ?  Think  of  something  very  wonder- 
ful from  a  far-off  land.  Try  to  make  your  classmates 
open  their  eyes  wide  with  astonishment. 

Each  child  may  tell  what  was  in  the  box.  Begin 
your  sentence  with  the  words,  "  In  the  box  I  saw ." 

Read  the  following  sentences  rapidly : 

1.  Who  saw  the  sun  rise? 

2.  I  saw  a  squirrel  gathering  nuts. 

3.  We  saw  a  runaway  yesterday. 


Language  Game  89 


Columbus  saw  a  light  on  the  shore. 
At  the  circus  I  saw  a  camel. 
The  Eskimo  saw  a  white  bear. 
Cinderella  saw  her  fairy  godmother. 
Mother  once  saw  the  President. 


Did  you  use  a  helping  word  like  has  or  have  with 
saw?  Seen  is  sometimes  wrongly  used  for  saw,  but 
seen  always  needs  a  helping  word. 

Read  these  sentences : 


Ned  has  seen  a  cuckoo  clock. 
Who  has  seen  the  wind  ? 
I  have  seen  all  sorts  of  birds. 
Have  you  seen  my  new  cart  ? 
My  brother  has  seen  a  buffalo. 
Father  has  seen  a  rattlesnake. 


I  saw  You  saw  He  saw  They  saw 

I  have  seen    You  have  seen    He  has  seen    They  have  seen 

Use  the  saw  and  seen  sentences  and  the  groups  of 
words  in  your  three-minute  drills  for  a  few  days.  Read 
the  teach  and  learn  sentences  on  page  73  once  each 
day  also,  unless  your  teacher  feels  that  some  other 
"correct  use"  sentences  need  the  drill  more. 

80.    LANGUAGE    GAME 

On  the  Road  to  London 

Turn  back  to  page  17  and  see  how  you  played  "On 
the  Road  to  London."     Today  you  may  play  the  game 


90  Self-Hclp  English  Lessons 

again,  but  instead  of  meeting  an  animal,  you  may 
imagine  that  you  saw  a  flower.  You  might  say,  for 
instance : 

On  the  road  to  London  I  saw  a  violet.    It  grew  in  a  shady 
place.     I  picked  it  for  my  mother. 

Or 

On  the  road  to  London  I  saw  a  buttercup.     My  sister 
held  it  under  my  chin.     It  told  her  that  I  like  butter. 


81.   WRITING   THE   NAMES   OF   PLACES 

Find  the  word  London  in  the  last  lesson.  With 
what  kind  of  letter  does  it  begin?  This  is  because  it 
is  the  name  of  a  particular  place. 

Write  the  name  of  the  city  or  town  in  which  you  live, 
in  this  way :  Denver,  Colorado.  Can  you  think  of 
a  good  reason  for  setting  off  Denver  with  a  comma  ? 

Write  the  names  of  five  important  places  you  know 
about,  using  the  comma  correctly. 

How  many  rules  for  using  capital  letters  have  you 
already  had?  Write  sentences  on  the  blackboard 
using  capitals  in  all  these  ways. 

What  other  use  of  the  comma  have  you  learned? 
Show  its  use  on  the  blackboard. 

The  names  of  places  always  begin  with  capital  letters. 
A  comma  should  set  off  the  name  of  a  city  from  the  name 
of  the  state  when  they  are  written  together. 


Study  of  a  Story  91 

82.    STUDY   OF   A   STORY 

The  Fairies  Who  Changed  Work 

Long,  long  ago,  and  ever  so  long  before  that,  there  were 
two  fairies  whose  names  were  Starblossom  and  Drop-of- 
Crystal.  Starblossom  made  the  earhest  spring  flowers, 
and  Drop-of-Crystal  made  the  snowflakes.  The  two  fairies 
were  great  friends. 

One  day  Starblossom  came  to  visit  Drop-of-Crystal. 
She  found  him  rnaking  great  heaps  of  snowflakes ;  so  she 
knew  there  was  no  hurry  about  the  spring  flowers.  They 
were  much  better  off  underground  if  Drop-of-Crystal  was 
going  to  fling  snowflakes  about. 

"Why  are  you  making  so  many  snowflakes?"  asked 
Starblossom. 

"For  a  snowstorm,  of  course,"  answered  Drop-of- 
Crystal,  who  was  so  busy  that  he  forgot  to  be  poHte. 

"Shall  you  use  them  all  in  one  storm?"  asked  Star- 
blossom, opening  her  eyes  very  wide.  "It  will  be  a  very 
big  storm." 

"It  will  — very  big,"  said  Drop-of-Crystal.  "You'd 
better  look  out  for  your  plants." 

"Oh,  they  are  safe  below  the  ground,"  said  Starblossom, 
and  then  she  watched  Drop-of-Crystal  a  long  time  before 
she  spoke  again. 

"Snowflakes  must  be  very  easy  to  make,"  she  said  at 
last.     "It  is  very  hard  to  make  flowers." 

"I  don't  agree  with  you,"  said  Drop-of-Crystal.  "You 
have  to  make  thousands  and  thousands  of  snowflakes  for 
the  smallest  snowstorm,  or  they  would  give  out.  That 
would  be  dreadful." 

"Not  half  so  dreadful  as  if  spring  were  to  run  short  of 
flowers,"  said  Starblossom. 


92  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

This  made  Drop-of-Crystal  lose  his  temper.  "Look 
here,"  he  said,  ''if  you  think  it's  such  fun  to  make  snow- 
flakes,  just  make  a  few  thousand  while  I  rest." 

"  How  jolly  that  will  be ! "  exclaimed  Starblossom.  "  But 
of  course,  if  I  make  your  snowflakes,  it  is  only  fair  that  you 
make  my  flowers." 

"Very  well,"  said  Drop-of-Crystal,  a  little  impatiently. 
"Making  flowers  must  be  hke  resting,  anyway." 

So  Drop-of-Crystal  flew  off  to  the  place  where  Star- 
blossom's  plants  were  beginning  to  show  their  green  leaves 
above  the  ground.  He  had  never  made  any  flowers,  but 
he  determined  to  do  his  best. 

It  was  a  long,  long  time  before  he  finished  even  one  little 
bud. 

"This  bud  looks  Hke  a  big  drop  of  snow,"  he  said  to 
himself.  "I  suppose  that  is  because  I  made  snowflakes 
so  long.     I  must  try  again." 

So  he  tried  again  and  again,  but  every  flower  looked 
like  a  big  drop  of  snow. 

"I  can't  help  it,"  he  said  at  last.  "They  are  dear  little 
flowers,  anyway." 

All  this  time  Starblossom  was  hard  at  work  making 
snowflakes.  It  took  a  long  time  to  make  the  first  one,  and 
she  laughed  aloud  when  it  was  finished.  "My  snowflake 
looks  exactly  hke  a  flower,"  she  said. 

She  was  right.  The  snowflake  was  Hke  a  deHcate,  starry 
flower,  gHstening  in  the  sunshine. 

"I  Hke  this  kind  of  snowflake,"  said  Starblossom.  "I 
shall  make  a  lot  more." 

At  that  moment  Drop-of-Crystal  flew  to  her  in  a  great 
hurry.  "Oh,  do  come  and  look  at  my  flowers,"  he  cried. 
"They  are  a  new  kind,  and  they  are  so  pretty  —  just  Hke 
drops  of  snow." 

"And  my  snowflakes   are  just   Hke   flowers,"   laughed 


Study  of  a  Story 


93 


94  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

Starblossom.  "  I  want  to  make  them  always  because  they 
are  so  pretty." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Drop-of- Crystal,  clapping  his  hands, 
"you  shall  go  on  making  snowflakes,  and  I'll  go  on  making 
spring  flowers." 

So  that  was  the  way  it  was  settled.  The  snow  fairy  made 
spring  flowers,  and  the  flower  fairy  made  snowflakes.  That 
is  the  reason  why,  to  this  very  day,  the  snowflakes  are 
like  beautiful,  starry  flowers  and  the  first  flowers  of  spring 
are  snowdrops. 

Studying  the  Story 

Read  the  story.     Do  you  like  it?     Why? 

Look  at  the  picture.  Have  you  ever  seen  snow- 
flakes  that  looked  as  these  do  ? 

Do  you  notice  that  the  story  is  in  parts?  When 
you  play  the  story,  you  may  call  each  of  these  parts 
a  "scene."  Does  the  first  scene  take  place  at  Star- 
blossom's  home  or  at  Drop-of-Crystal's? 

Then  there  is  a  second  scene  —  a  short  one.  Where 
does  it  take  place?  Where  does  the  last  scene  take 
place  ?     Decide  where  each  home  shall  be. 

What  shall  you  use  for  snowflakes  ?  What  can  you 
use  for  flowers  in  the  second  scene?  Or,  shall  you 
simply  move  your  fingers  as  if  you  were  making  snow- 
flakes  and  flowers  ? 

Read  the  story  several  times  before  your  next 
lesson,  so  that  you  may  have  it  in  mind.  You  will 
probably  use  words  of  your  own  as  well  as  some  of 
those  of  the  book.     Remember  that  sometimes  Drop- 


Writing  Questions  and  Answers  95 

of-Crystal  spoke  impatiently,  and  do  not  forget  in 
what  way  each  of  the  fairies  showed  pleasure  in  the 
last  scene. 

83.    PLAYING   THE    STORY 

Today  two  children  may  play  the  first  scene,  two 
others  the  second,  and  two  others  the  third.  Tell 
what  was  well  done,  and  what  might  be  improved. 
At  the  last  two  children  may  play  the  entire  story. 

84.    WRITING    QUESTIONS    AND   ANSWERS 

Copy  the  following  questions,  and  below  each  write 
its  answer : 

1.  Who  was  Starblossom ? 

2.  What  did  she  try  to  make? 

3 .  What  did  her  snowflakes  look  like  ? 

On  another  piece  of  paper  you  may  write  three 
questions  about  Drop-of-Crystal,  leaving  a  space  for 
the  answer  below  each.  This  paper  you  will  exchange 
for  that  of  another  pupil,  and  in  your  next  language 
period  you  will  answer  the  questions  on  the  paper  given 
to  you. 

When  the  questions  and  answers  have  been  written, 
read  some  of  them  aloud. 

Was  each  question  expressed  in  a  clear  sentence? 

Was  the  answer  correct? 

Was  the  answer  expressed  as  well  as  possible? 


96  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

85.    TELLING   STORIES   FROM   A   PICTURE 

Find  the  story  in  the  picture.  In  other  words,  read 
the  picture.  Tell  the  story  as  if  you  were  the  boy. 
You  might  begin  by  telling  how  you  happened  to  be 
doing  the  work.  Perhaps  you  heard  the  noise  of  the 
game  in  the  woods,  and  hid  behind  a  tree  to  see  what 
was  going  on.  It  may  be  that  the  giants  were  tired  of 
setting  up  the  pins,  and  you  had  courage  enough  to 
offer  to  do  it.  Think  of  other  beginnings,  and  choose 
the  one  you  like  best.  Use  only  a  sentence  or  two  for 
this  part  of  the  story.  How  did  the  giants  reward 
you  at  the  end  of  the  game? 

Your  teacher  will  write  the  story  on  the  blackboard 
as  you  tell  it.  Read  it  over  and  see  if  it  can  be  im- 
proved. 

86.    FABLES   TO   LEARN 

The  Dog  in  the  Manger 

A  dog  was  lying  in  a  manger  when  a  sheep  and  a  horse 
came  to  eat.  The  dog  growled  at  the  animals,  and  would 
not  let  them  have  a  mouthful.  By  and  by  a  hungry  ox 
came  to  the  manger.  The  dog  growled  even  more  savagely 
than  before.  "You  are  a  selfish  dog,"  said  the  ox.  ''You 
cannot  eat  the  hay  yourself,  and  you  will  not  allow  me  to 
do  so." 

The  Donkey  in  the  Lion's  Skin 

A  donkey  once  dressed  in  the  skin  of  a  lion,  and  tried  to 
frighten  the  other  animals.     When  he  saw  a  fox  approach- 


Fables  to  Learn 


98  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

ing,  he  brayed  at  the  top  of  his  voice.  The  fox  laughed 
and  said,  "You  look  Hke  a  Hon,  but  you  bray  like  a  donkey. 
Who's  afraid  of  a  lion  that  cannot  roar?" 

What  do  you  think  the  first  fable  teaches?  What 
does  the  second  teach  ? 

You  may  learn  one  of  these  fables  by  heart,  or  you 
may  learn  any  other  short  fable  that  you  can  find.  If 
you  have  a  public  library,  ask  the  librarian  to  help 
you  find  a  good  book  of  fables.  "Fables  and  Folk 
Stories,"  by  Horace  E.  Scudder,  contains  a  number  of 
short  fables. 

When  you  recite  these  fables,  review  also  the  others 
you  have  learned.  Be  ready  to  recite  them  whenever 
called  on  to  do  so. 

87.   DICTIONARY  LESSON 

Copy  thirty  words  from  your  spellers,  and  arrange 
them  in  the  order  of  the  letters. 

As  seat  work  each  day  for  a  week,  copy  twenty  words 
from  your  spellers  and  arrange  them  in  order. 

88.   WRITING   STORIES   FROM   PICTURES 

Today  each  of  you  may  take  one  of  the  pictures  from 
your  collection,  and  write  a  short  story  about  it.  One 
good  way  to  keep  your  story  short  is  to  be  very  careful 
not  to  say  anything  that  could  be  left  out  without  spoil- 
ing the  story.  Use  short,  clear  sentences,  tell  things  in 
their  right  order,  and  be  sure  to  spell  the  words  cor- 
rectly. 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  99 

When  you  have  finished,  go  over  the  story  to  make 
sure  that  you  have  made  no  mistakes. 

89.    CRITICIZING   THE   PICTURE   STORIES 

Today  you  will  exchange  pictures  and  stories.  Read 
carefully  the  one  that  comes  to  you,  and  answer  to 
yourself  the  following  questions  about  it : 

Does  it  tell  the  story  told  in  the  picture? 

Is  the  story  interesting  ? 

Is  it  told  in  clSar  sentences  ? 

Does  each  sentence  begin  with  a  capital  ? 

Is  the  correct  mark  used  at  the  end  of  each  sentence  ? 

Are  the  words  spelled  correctly  ? 

Make  an  x  in  the  margin  beside  any  line  having  a 
mistake.  The  stories  and  pictures  will  then  be  given 
back  to  those  who  wrote  them. 

In  your  next  study  period  write  the  stories  over  again 
and  make  them  perfect.  They  will  then  be  fastened 
together  into  a  book.  In  what  ways  can  the  book  be 
used? 

90.    DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

The  Second  Language  Drive  —  Did  and  Done 

In  the  last  drive  you  worked  to  get  rid  of  a  word 
which  should  never  be  used.  Have  you  succeeded  in 
driving  it  from  your  own  speech? 

Today  will  begin  a  drive  to  use  did  and  done 
correctly. 


100  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Both   are  very   useful  words,   but   they  are   often 
wrongly  used. 


Do  you  remember  the  story  of  George  Washington 
and  the  cherry  tree  ?  When  his  father  asked  who  had 
cut  the  tree,  George  said,  "I  did  it  with  my  Uttle 
hatchet."     That  is  the  proper  way  to  use  did. 

Read  the  following  sentences : 

1.  Who  did  the  work? 

2.  Frank  did  it  yesterday. 

3.  George  Washington  did  it  with  his  hatchet. 

4.  The  children  all  did  their  best. 

5.  Who  broke  the  glass  ?     I  did  it. 

6.  I  did  it  with  my  ball. 

7.  Who  sharpened  my  pencils  ? 

8.  I  did.     I  did  it  with  my  knife. 

9.  The  boys  did  their  work  well. 

10.  The  girls  did  theirs  well,  too. 

11.  Who  did  the  most  work? 

12.  Mary  did  an  errand  for  her  mother. 


A  Language  Game  loi 

Was  any  helping  word  like  has  or  have  used  with 
did?  Look  at  the  picture.  What  words  are  helping 
done  ?  Done  never  works  alone.  Done  is  used  correctly 
in  these  sentences : 


I  have  done  two  examples. 
Ned  has  not  done  his  work. 
What  had  you  done  with  my  knife  ? 
The  rain  had  done  the  flowers  good. 
Has  the  wind  done  much  damage  ? 
I  have  done«iny  best. 


I  did   '  You  did  She  did  They  did 

I  have  done  You  have  done  She  has  done  They  have  done 

Use  the  sentences  and  groups  of  words  in  your  three- 
minute  drills  for  a  few  days.  Then  carry  on  the  drive 
as  you  did  before,  or  plan  some  other  way.  But  carry 
it  on ! 

In  your  next  language  lesson  you  will  play  a  game. 
Read  the  directions  before  you  come  to  class,  and  see 
if  you  can  play  it  with  little  or  no  help  from  your 
teacher,  except  that  she  will  appoint  a  leader. 

91.   A   LANGUAGE   GAME 
Who  Did  It? 

A  leader  is  appointed,  and  the  leader  selects  a  scout, 
who  closes  his  eyes.  The  leader  points  to  a  child,  and 
that  child  immediately  claps  softly. 

The   scout   opens  his  eyes,   and   the   leader   says. 


I02  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

"Somebody  clapped.  Who  did  it?"  The  scout  re- 
plies, "I  think  did  it."     If  this  is  a  good  guess, 

the  child  named  says,  "Yes,  I  did  it,"  and  changes 
places  with  the  scout.     The  game  then  begins  again. 

If  a  wrong  guess  was  made,  the  child  named  shakes 
his  head  but  says  nothing.  The  leader  then  asks  the 
same  question  again.  If  the  scout  does  not  guess  with 
three  trials,  a  new  scout  is  appointed.  Play  the  game 
rapidly,  and  change  the  leader  after  a  while. 

Any  one  who  uses  the  word  done  instead  of  did  pays 
a  forfeit  at  the  close  of  the  game.  What  will  make 
a  good  forfeit  ? 

92.    COPYING   LESSON 

Read  the  following  sentences,  using  either  did  or 
done  wherever  there  is  a  blank.  Then  copy  two  sen- 
tences that  need  did  and  two  that  need  done.  Write 
a  question  containing  did. 

1.  The  children  have their  work  weU. 

2.  One  boy  — —  his  work  too  fast. 

3.  I  have my  best. 

4.  I  have all  my  examples. 

5.  I them  last  night. 

6.  Our  puppy a  lot  of  mischief. 

7.  We nothing  to  frighten  the  birds. 

8.  Fido  has all  his  tricks. 

For  your  next  lesson  you  will  need  a  piece  of  paper 
six  inches  square,  a  ruler,  a  lead  pencil,  a  pair  of 
scissors,  and  a  pin.     Be  sure  to  have  the  things  ready. 


Making  Pinwheels  103 

93.    MAKING   PINWHEELS 

Today  you  will  make  pinwheels  by  following  di- 
rections. Read  the  first  direction,  get  a  clear  picture 
in  your  mind  of  what  you  are  to  do,  and  act  when  you 
are  sure  that  you  are  ready.  Then  read  the  second 
direction,  think  in  the  same  way,  and  so  on.  Try  to 
make  the  pinwheel  without  a  mistake. 

1.  Draw  a  light  line  from  the  upper  right  corner  of 
your  paper  to  th^  lower  left  corner. 

2.  'Draw  a  light  line  from  the  upper  left  corner  to 
the  lower  right  corner. 

3.  Point  to  the  center  of  your  paper. 

4.  Make  a  light  dot  on  each  line  one  half  inch  from 
the  center.     There  will  be  four  of  these  dots. 

5.  Beginning  at  any  corner,  cut  or  tear  on  the  line 
as  far  as  the  dot. 

6.  Do  the  same  thing,  beginning  at  each  of  the  other 
corners.  You  will  now  have  eight  points,  two  at  each 
corner.' 

7.  Bend  any  one  of  the  points  toward  the  center  of 
the  paper,  but  do  not  crease  it.  Hold  the  point  be- 
tween the  thumb  and  the  first  finger  of  your  left  hand. 

8.  Bend  over  in  the  same  way  the  next  point  but 
one,  and  so  on  until  you  have  bent  over  four  points. 

9.  Stick  the  pin  through  these  four  points  and  then 
through  the  center  of  the  paper. 

10.   Press  the  pin  firmly  into  the  end  of  your  lead 
pencil  or  into  the  end  of  a  short  stick. 


104  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

If  you  have  followed  the  directions  without  making 
a  mistake,  you  will  have  a  good  pinwheel.  If  you  made 
a  mistake,  go  back  to  the  beginning  and  see  where  you 
tripped. 

Perhaps  the  teacher  will  allow  those  who  made  no 
mistake  to  run  once  around  the  room  to  show  how  their 
pinwheels  work. 

94.     WHAT   LANGUAGE   HAS    TO    DO   WITH   NUMBER 

WORK 

When  you  are  trying  to  follow  directions,  do  you  act 
the  moment  you  hear  the  directions?  What  do  you 
do  first? 

The  power  to  see  things  in  your  mind  will  help  you 
in  all  your  school  work.  You  have  language  lessons 
partly  to  get  this  power.  Think  how  it  helps  in 
number  work. 

Suppose  you  have  this  problem  : 

In  my  garden  are  four  rows  of  lettuce  plants,  with  six 
plants  in  each  row.     How  many  plants  are  there  in  all? 

The  moment  you  read  the  problem  you  should  see 
in  your  mind  a  picture  of  the  garden.  What  things 
does  the  problem  tell  you  about  the  garden?  If  you 
see  the  picture  clearly,  draw  it  on  the  blackboard. 

How  many  plants  have  you  drawn  in  each  row? 
How  many  rows  have  you?  What  question  does  the 
problem  ask?  How  many  six's  of  plants  have  you? 
How  many  plants  have  you  ? 


Telling  Stories  from  Pictures  105 

Some  problems  are  so  easy  that  you  may  not  need 
to  draw  the  picture  that  you  see  in  your  mind,  but 
draw  it  if  it  helps  you. 

This  lesson  is  put  in  here  to  show  you  that  a  number 
problem  is  also  a  language  problem.  In  all  your 
number  work,  let  the  words  of  the  problem  make  pic- 
tures in  your  mind.     You  will  then  have  little  trouble. 

95.     WHAT    LANGUAGE    HAS    TO    DO    WITH    OTHER 
;.  SUBJECTS 

Why  are  your  reading  lessons  language  lessons  as 
well  ?     Talk  it  over  with  your  teacher. 

What  have  language  lessons  to  do  with  each  of  your 
other  lessons  ? 

In  what  lessons  should  you  use  what  you  learn  in  your 
language  lessons  ? 

96.     TELLING   STORIES   FROM   PICTURES 

Today  you  will  again  tell  stories  from  the  pictures  in 
your  collection.  Choose  a  picture  in  which  you  find 
a  good  story  to  tell.  What  things  will  you  think  of  in 
planning  your  story  ? 

In  your  next  study  period  you  may  write  the  story 
you  told  today.  If  your  picture  is  small  enough,  paste 
it  at  the  top  of  your  paper.  Do  your  very  best,  so 
that  the  stories  will  be  good  enough  to  be  fastened 
together  to  keep.  Do  you  think  next  year's  third- 
grade  class  would  be  interested  in  seeing  the  stories 
you  wrote  ?    Ask  them. 


io6  Self -Help  English  Lesso7is 

97.     STUDY   OF   A   POEM 

The  Bluebird 

■   I  know  the  song  that  the  bluebird  is  singing, 
Up  in  the  apple  tree  where  he  is  swinging. 
Brave  Httle  fellow !     The  skies  may  look  dreary, 
Notliing  cares  he  while  his  heart  is  so  cheery. 

Hark  !  how  the  music  leaps  out  of  his  throat ! 
Hark !  was  there  ever  so  merry  a  note  ? 
Listen  awhile  and  you'll  hear  what  he's  saying, 
Up  in  the  apple  tree,  swinging  and  swaying : 

''Dear  little  blossoms,  down  under  the  snow, 
You  must  be  weary  of  winter,  I  know ; 
Hark,  while  I  sing  you  a  message  of  cheer ! 
Summer  is  coming  and  springtime  is  here." 

"  Little  white  snowdrop,  I  pray  you  arise ; 
Bright  yellow  crocus,  come  open  your  eyes ; 
Sweet  little  violets,  hid  from  the  cold, 
Put  on  your  mantles  of  purple  and  gold. 
Daffodils!  daffodils!  say,  do  you  hear?  — 
Summer  is  coming,  and  springtime  is  here!  " 

EMILY   HUNTINGTON   MILLER 

Do  you  see  the  picture  in  the  first  stanza?  What 
words  describe  the  bird?     the  sky? 

Did  you  ever  hear  the  music  leap  out  of  the  blue- 
bird's throat  ?  What  is  the  bluebird's  message  to  the 
flowers  under  the  snow? 

What  does  weary  mean?  What  is  a  message  of 
cheer  ?    Read  the  poem  and  bring  out  the  meaning. 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  107 

98.     DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  Run  and  Ran 

Some  children  use  the  word  run  when  they  should 
use  ran.  Both  words  are  used  correctly  in  these 
sentences : 


1.  I  ran  .all  the  way  to  school. 

2.  I  have  run  all  the  way  to  school. 


Is  any  helping  word  used  with  run  in  the  second 
sentence  ?  Is  a  helping  word  used  with  ran  in  the  first 
sentence?  Run  sometimes  needs  a  helping  word,  and 
sometimes  it  does  not.     Ran  never  needs  a  helping  word. 


The  firemen  ran  up  the  street. 
Who  ran  faster,  Ned  or  Frank  ? 
The  fox  ran  to  his  den. 
Little  Bo  Peep's  sheep  ran  away. 
My  little  brother  ran  down  town. 
I  ran  after  him  and  caught  him. 
The  hare  and  the  tortoise  ran  a  race. 


I  ran  You  ran  He  ran  They  ran 

I  have  run     You  have  run      He  has  run     They  have  run 

Use  the  above  sentences  and  groups  of  words  in 
your  three-minute  drills  for  a  few  days.  Read  also  once 
each  day  the  saw  and  seen  sentences  on  pages  88  and  89, 
unless  your  teacher  gives  the  time  to  correcting  some 
other  error  made  in  your  class. 


io8  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

99.    STORY   OF   A   POEM 
The  Raindrops'  Ride 

Some  little  drops  of  water, 

Whose  home  was  in  the  sea, 
To  go  upon  a  journey 

Once  happened  to  agree. 

A  white  cloud  was  their  carriage ; 

Their  horse,  a  playful  breeze ; 
And  over  town  and  country 

They  rode  along  with  ease. 

But,  oh  !  there  were  so  many, 

At  last  the  carriage  broke. 
And  to  the  ground  came  tumbling 

Those  frightened  little  folk. 

Among  the  grass  and  flowers 
They  then  were  forced  to  roam, 

Until  a  brooklet  found  them 
And  carried  them  all  home. 

Listen  while  your  teacher  reads  the  poem  to  you. 
Where  did  the  raindrops  decide  to  go  ?  How  did  they 
travel  ?  What  accident  happened  to  them  ?  How  did 
they  get  back  to  their  home  in  the  sea  ? 

What  do  these  words  mean  :  roam,  brooklet,  forced  ? 

Tell  the  entire  story  in  a  few  clear  sentences.  Use 
these  groups  of  words :  happened  to  agree,  playful  breeze, 
rode  with  ease,  forced  to  roam. 


Copying  and  Dictation  109 

Is  it  pleasant  to  think  of  the  clouds  as  a  carriage  for 
the  raindrops  ? 

You  may  learn  either  this  poem  or  the  one  on  page 
106.  Your  teacher  will  tell  you  when  to  be  ready 
to  recite  it.  If  you  read  the  poem  over  and  over  again, 
and  try  to  see  the  pictures,  you  will  learn  it  very  easily. 

100.    WRITING   A   STORY 

In  your  next  study  period  you  may  imagine  that  you 
are  one  of  the  r5.indrops  of  the  poem.  Write  a  short 
story  telling  how  the  sun  fairies  found  you  in  the  sea 
and  carried  you  up  to  the  cloud  carriage. 

Or,  you  may  be  a  raindrop  that  was  not  found  by 
the  brooklet.  What  happened  to  you  ?  Think  of  all 
the  useful  and  pleasant  things  raindrops  do  in  the  world, 
and  choose  one. 

Do  your  very  best  in  this  story.  Don't  forget  to 
think!  Should  you  like  to  take  home  the  story  to 
show  to  your  parents  ? 

101.     COPYING   AND    DICTATION 

Copy  the  following  letter  after  studying  it  carefully. 
Notice  the  mark  after  Hurrah.  The  boy  who  wrote 
this  note  had  noticed  that  this  mark  was  used  in  books 
after  words  like  Hurrah.  It  is  used  to  show  strong 
feeling.  The  writer  used  it  to  show  how  happy  he  was 
at  the  thought  of  going  home  with  his  cousin.  When 
you  read  the  note  to  yourself,  think  how  you  would  say 
Hurrah ! 


no  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Think  of  the  reason  for  every  capital  letter  and  every 
mark.     CanH  is  a  short  form  for  cannot. 

Dear  Steve, 

Cousin  Jack  has  come  to  visit  us.  He  lives  in  Austin, 
Texas.  Can't  you  come  over  on  Saturday?  Jack  will 
stay  until  July  and  then  I  am  going  home  with  him. 
Hurrah ! 

Your  true  friend, 

George 

102.     DICTATION   LESSON 

Today  your  teacher  will  dictate  a  lesson  that  you 
have  never  seen. 

103.     OUR   COUNTRY 

Look  at  the  first  picture  in  this  book.  What  are 
the  children  doing?  Probably  you  also  do  this  every 
day. 

The  flag  stands  for  our  country.  What  do  you  mean 
when  you  promise  to  give  your  hand  to  your  country  ? 
What  do  you  mean  when  you  promise  to  give  your 
heart  ? 

Is  our  country  a  large  or  a  small  place?  Find  out 
how  many  days  it  takes  a  fast  train  to  cross  it  from 
east  to  west.  Remember  that  the  part  of  the  country 
where  you  live,  even  though  it  may  be  a  small  town, 
is  the  place  where  you  must  keep  your  promises. 

With  your  teacher's  help  try  to  answer  this  question  : 
What  are  you  doing  for  your  country  when  you  do 
your  very  best  at  home  and  at  school  ? 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  lii 

On  pages  125  and  126  you  will  find  the  words  of 
"America."  Learn  perfectly  at  least  two  stanzas  of 
this  hymn,  so  that  you  can  sing  them  without  looking 
at  the  words. 

104.     DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  Come  and  Came 

Children  sometimes  use  coTne  when  they  should  use 
came.  Read  the  following  sentences  and  groups  of 
words : 


I 

2 

3 

4 

5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
10 

II 


Father  came  home  early. 
Father  has  come  home  early. 
The  principal  came  to  visit  us. 
The  principal  has  come  to  visit  us. 
My  aunt  came  from  Chicago. 
My  aunt  has  come  from  Chicago. 
The  rain  came  from  the  clouds. 
The  rain  has  come  from  the  clouds. 
It  came  down  in  torrents. 
Who  came  into  the  yard  ? 
Who  has  come  into  the  yard  ? 


I  came  You  came  She  came        They  came 

I  have  come  You  have  come  She  has  come  They  have  come 

If  this  mistake  is  made  in  your  class,  use  for  a  few 
days  the  sentences  and  the  groups  of  words  in  your 
three-minute  drills.  If  you  do  not  need  the  drill,  with 
the  help  of  your  teacher  plan  a  drill  on  some  word  that 
you  do  not  all  use  correctly.  Read  also  once  each  day 
the  sentences  on  page  64. 


112  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

105.     COPYING   LESSON 

Copy  these  sentences,  using  either  come  or  came 
wherever  there  is  a  blank  : 


1 .  The  spring  fairies  have . 

2.  They from  the  South. 

3.  The  snowdrops with  them. 

4.  What  birds with  them? 

5.  Last  Saturday  the  bluebirds 

6.  What  other  birds  have ? 


106.     TELLING    SECRETS 

Have  you  been  reporting  whenever  you  saw  some- 
thing interesting  happen  out-of-doors?  Today  you 
may  tell  secrets.  If  anything  is  not  told  clearly,  be 
sure  to  ask  questions. 

A  few  may  write  their  secrets  on  the  blackboard,  and 
the  others  may  then  read  them.  Did  the  writers 
remember  to  write  in  short  sentences?  Did  they  use 
capitals  and  marks  correctly?  Did  they  tell  the 
secrets  in  an  interesting  way  ? 

107.     STORIES   TO   LEARN 

Why  the  Evergreens  Keep  Their  Leaves  in  Winter 

When  the  world  was  young,  the  Great  Spirit  commanded 
all  the  trees  to  keep  awake  for  four  days  and  four  nights. 
The  pine,  spruce,  and  balsam  were  obedient,  but  the  other 
trees  went  to  sleep.  The  Great  Spirit  was  very  angry. 
"You  have  not  been  faithful,"  he  said  to  the  disobedient 


Stories  to  Learn  113 

trees.  "Hereafter  you  shall  lose  your  leaves  every  winter. 
But  the  pine  and  the  spruce  and  the  balsam  shall  be  fresh 
and  green  forever." 


Why  the  Owl  Flies  at  Night 

Long,  long  ago  there  was  no  fire  on  the  earth.  A  brave 
httle  wren  offered  to  get  some  from  the  sun.  He  soon 
returned  with  a  firebrand,  but  his  breast  feathers  were 
badly  scorched.  A  grateful  robin  proposed  that  each  bird 
give  the  wren  a  leather.  This  all  except  the  owl  agreed 
to  do.  Because  he  was  so  selfish,  the  other  birds  became 
his  enemies.  Since  that  time  the  owl  has  not  dared  to  fly 
by  dayhght. 

Read  the  first  story.  The  Indians  told  this  story 
to  explain  why  the  evergreens  do  not  shed  their  leaves 
in  winter.  Who  was  the  Great  Spirit?  Do  you 
know  any  other  evergreens  besides  the  pine,  the 
spruce,  and  the  balsam  ? 

Read  the  second  story.  This  too  is  an  Indian  story. 
Why  do  you  think  the  Indians  told  it  ? 

Learn  the  story  you  like  the  better.  Your  teacher 
will  tell  you  when  to  be  ready  to  repeat  it.  Tell  the 
story  at  home. 

Dictionary  Drill 

As  seat  work  for  the  next  three  days  you  may  copy 
thirty  words  from  your  spellers  and  arrange  them  in 
the  order  of  the  letters. 


114  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

108.     STUDY   OF   A   STORY 

The  King  and  the  Bee 

Once  upon  a  time,  when  the  king  of  a  far-away  country 
was  walking  in  his  garden,  a  bee  brushed  against  his  nose. 
Although  the  Httle  creature  did  not  sting,  the  king  was 
very  angry. 

''Do  you  not  know  that  I  am  the  king?"  he  asked. 
"You  shall  die  for  being  so  rude." 

"Oh,  do  not  kill  me,  king,"  begged  the  frightened  bee. 
"  I  did  not  mean  to  be  rude.  It  was  only  by  accident  that 
I  brushed  against  your  royal  nose.  If  you  will  spare  my 
life,  the  time  may  come  when  I  can  repay  you  for  your 
kindness." 

These  words  pleased  the  king  so  well  that  he  said,  "  Go, 
you  shaU  not  be  harmed.     Some  day  I  may  need  you." 

The  bee  bowed  his  head  three  times  before  the  king  and 
flew  away, 

A  few  days  later,  as  the  king  was  sitting  upon  his  throne, 
a  beautiful  queen  entered  the  great  hall.  Holding  a  wreath 
of  flowers  in  each  hand,  she  advanced  to  the  throne. 

"Great  and  mighty  king,"  she  said,  "I  have  heard  that 
you  are  the  wisest  king  on  earth.  Will  you  prove  it  by 
telUng  me  which  of  these  wreaths  is  made  of  wax?  Only 
one  is  made  of  natural  flowers." 

The  king  looked  earnestly  at  the  wreaths.  They  were  so 
exactly  alike  that  he  was  puzzled.  As  he  was  trying  to 
decide,  a  faint  buzzing  sound  drew  his  attention  to  a 
window.  There  was  the  faithful  Httle  bee  trying  to  get 
in! 

"Open  the  window,"  commanded  the  king,  pointing 
toward  it  with  his  scepter. 

A  servant  immediately  opened  the  window,  and  in  flew 


Study  of  a  Story  115 

the  bee.  It  went  straight  to  the  queen  and  settled  upon 
the  wreath  in  her  left  hand. 

"The  bee  has  answered  for  me,"  exclaimed  the  king. 
"The  wreath  in  your  right  hand  is  made  of  wax." 

"You  are  indeed  the  wisest  man  on  earth,"  said  the 
queen,  bowing  low  before  the  throne.  And  when  she  had 
left  the  room,  the  king  said  to  the  bee,  "Thanks,  thanks, 
my  little  friend." 

Then  the -lords  and  ladies  clapped  their  hands,  while  the 
bee  buzzed  for  joy. 

Studying  the  Story 

Read  the  story.  Where  did  the  first  scene  take 
place?  Tell  in  a  few  clear  sentences  what  happened 
in  the  garden. 

Where  did  the  second  scene  take  place?  Tell 
what  happened  to  puzzle  the  king.  Tell  how  the  bee 
helped  the  king.     Tell  the  end  of  the  story. 

Show  how  the  bee  brushed  against  the  king's  nose. 
Speak  to  the  bee  in  an  angry  voice  as  the  king  did. 
Show  how  the  frightened  bee  answered  the  king.  Bow 
as  the  bee  did  before  flying  away. 

Plan  the  second  scene  carefully.  What  can  you  use 
for  a  scepter  ?     What  shall  you  use  for  wreaths  ? 

How  many  lords  and  ladies  will  you  have  ?  Where 
shall  they  stand  ? 

You  need  not  learn  the  words  of  the  book,  but  it  will 
be  a  good  plan  to  use  these  groups  of  words  :  do  you  not 
know,  only  by  accident,  your  royal  nose,  great  and  mighty 
king,  my  little  friend. 


ii6 


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109.     PLAYING   THE    STORY 

When  the  story  has  been  played,  tell  what  was  well 
done.  What  might  be  improved?  Another  set  of 
children  may  then  be  the  actors.  Which  set  talked 
and  acted  the  more  naturally  ? 


110.     SPELLING   REVIEW 


Review  also 
page  55,  and 
your  teacher  if 
another  grade, 
with  you, 

again 
such 
gone 
*  easy 
forty 
some 
says 
any 
lose 
color 


the  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  on 

the   lists   on   pages   43  and  85.     Ask 

you  may  write  a  note  to  the  children  of 

inviting  them  to  have  a  spelling  match 


goes 

early 

raise 

said 

sure 

much 

father 

very 

can't 

country 


an  hour  ago 
knew  the  rules 
would  have  gone 
blew  a  bubble 
led  the  march 
rode  a  horse 
been  trying 
our  names 
made  of  wood 
a  rough  road 


111.     TELLING   A    CLASS    STORY 

Today  you  may  tell  a  class  story  about  this  picture. 
Talk  it  over  and  decide  whether  you  will  tell  the  story 
as  if  you  were  one  of  the  children  or  as  if  you  saw  them 
play.  When  the  story  has  been  written  on  the  black- 
board, try  to  improve  it. 


Telling  a  Class  Story 


117 


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112.     WRITING    STORIES 

Did  you  ever  dress  up  in  "grown-up"  clothes? 
What  did  you  play  ?  Write  a  short  story  telling  about 
fun  you  have  had  in  this  way. 

Turn  back  to  page  99  and  answer  the  questions 
you  find  there  in  Lesson  89.     Omit  the  first. 

113.     CORRECTING   THE    STORIES 

Today  you  may  go  over  the  stories  you  wrote,  and 
see  if  you  can  improve  them  in  any  way ;  or,  if  your 
teacher  thinks  best,  you  may  exchange  papers.  Of 
course  you  understand  that  if  you  do  not  find  your 
own  mistakes,  there  is  not  much  use  in  your  trying  to 
help  other  children. 

114.     DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  Went  and  Gone 

Sometimes  children  use  the  word  went  for  gone. 
Both  words  are  used  correctly  in  the  following  sentences  : 

1.  Mary  went  to  the  picnic. 

2.  Mary  has  gone  to  the  picnic. 

3.  Who  went  with  her  ? 

4.  Who  has  gone  with  her? 

5.  Red  Riding  Hood  went  to  her  grandmother's. 

6.  Red  Riding  Hood  has  gone  to  her  grandmother's. 

7.  The  children  went  home. 

8.  The  children  have  gone  home. 

9.  Have  the  birds  gone  to  sleep? 

10.   Has  your  sister  gone  to  New  York? 


Study  oj  a  Poem  119 

Does  went  need  a  helping  word  like  has  or  have? 
What  helping  words  are  used  with  gone  ? 

I  went  You  went  She  went         They  went 

I  have  gone  You  have  gone  She  has  gone  They  have  gone 

If  this  is  one  of  the  mistakes  made  in  your  class,  use 
for  a  few  days  the  sentences  and  groups  of  words  in 
your  three-minute  drills.  Read  also  once  each  day  the 
come  and  came  sentences  on  page  in. 

115.     STUDY    OF   A   POEM 

Springtime 

"Oh,  the  spring  has  come,"  chirped  the  dear  Uttle  birds, 

As  they  opened  their  drowsy  eyes, 
And  shook  the  fans  in  their  pretty  tails, 

And  turned  up  their  heads  to  the  skies. 

"The  spring  has  come,"  said  each  Uttle  flower, 

As  she  stirred  in  her  damp  brown  bed. 
First  Snowdrop  peeped  in  her  neat  white  cap, 

Then  modestly  hung  her  head. 

"Oh,  there  is  a  bee  !"  cried  Miss  Clover  so  red ; 

"He's  buzzing  because  I'm  not  up." 
So  she  sprang  into  sight  with  her  sweet  honey  jars, 

And  asked  Mr.  Bee  in  to  sup. 

« 

A  busy  time  is  this  fresh,  bright  spring. 

For  birds  and  for  bees  and  for  flowers ; 
There's  work  for  each  in  its  own  httle  world. 

And  joy  just  the  same  as  in  ours. 

MARY   GORDON 


120  Self -Help  English  Lessojis 

Listen  while  your  teacher  reads  the  poem.  Notice 
how  her  voice  helps  bring  out  the  meaning  of  the  words. 

How  did  the  birds  welcome  the  spring?  Which 
flower  first  brought  a  welcome  ?  Do  you  remember  how 
the  snowdrop  came  to  be  the  first  spring  flower  ? 

Notice  the  mark  after  bee  in  the  first  line  of  the  third 
stanza.     What  does  it  tell  you? 

Read  the  poem.  Try  to  use  your  voice  in  the  way 
your  teacher  used  hers.  Then  tell,  in  a  few  short 
sentences,  the  story  of  Miss  Clover's  party. 

116.     COPYING   LESSON 
Dear  Mr.  Bee, 

Spring  has  come  at  last.  My  pantry  is  full  of  honey. 
Will  you  and  Mrs.  Bee  please  come  to  supper  on  Wednes- 
day?    I  shall  expect  you  at  six  o'clock. 

Your  friend, 

Clover 

Study  the  note  carefully.  Always  turn  back  to  page 
28  unless  you  remember  every  step  in  studying  a 
lesson  before  copying. 

Mr.  is  a  short  form  for  the  word  Mister,  and  Mrs.  is 
a  short  form  for  the  word  Missis.  Mister  and  Missis 
are  never  written  out  in  full.  Never  omit  the  period 
in  writing  these  short  forms.  They  are  as  important 
as  the  letters  are. 

Copy  the  note  without  making  a  mistake  of  any  kind. 
Use  your  eyes  and  keep  on  your  thinking  caps  all  the 
time. 

A  period  is  used  after  the  short  forms  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


Writing  a  Good-by  Letter  121 

117.     ANSWERING   AN   INVITATION 

Discuss  in  class  what  Mr.  Bee  might  reply  if  he  and 
Mrs.  Bee  accepted  Miss  Clover's  invitation.  What 
good  reasons  might  he  give  if  they  were  unable  to 
accept  it  ? 

Part  of  the  class  may  write  a  note  accepting  the 
invitation,  and  the  rest  may  write  a  note  declining  it. 
Arrange  your  note  as  Miss  Clover  arranged  hers. 

118.     TELLING    STORIES   ABOUT   BEES 

Probably  you  all  know  what  it  means  to  be  as  busy 
as  a  bee.  Tell  all  you  know  about  the  habits  of  bees. 
Those  who  have  seen  beehives  and  know  how  the  busy 
little  creatures  live  may  tell  the  others  about  it.  What 
do  you  know  about  the  queen  bee?  the  drones?  the 
workers?  How  is  the  honey  made  and  stored?  Use 
the  blackboard  for  making  sketches  whenever  they 
would  help. 

119.     WRITING   A   GOOD-BY   LETTER 

Today  you  may  write  a  "Good-by"  note  to  your 
teacher.  You  may  tell  her  what  you  enjoyed  most  in 
the  third  grade,  what  you  are  planning  to  do  during 
the  vacation,  the  most  interesting  thing  you  learned  by 
using  your  eyes  or  ears,  or  any  other  thing  you  are  sure 
will  interest  her.  Do  not  try  to  tell  about  all  these 
things.     Choose  one. 

Should  you  like  to  please  your  teacher  very  much  ? 


122  Self -Help  English  Lessofis 

Nothing  will  make  her  more  happy  than  to  see  that 
you  have  learned  to  write  an  interesting  note  without 
making  any  mistakes. 

120.     SOME    QUESTIONS   TO   ANSWER 

And  now  you  have  finished  your  third-grade  language 
lessons.  If  you  can  answer  each  of  the  following 
questions  with  "Yes,"  you  will  do  good  language  work 
in  the  fourth  grade  : 

Can  you  tell  an  interesting  story  in  short,  clear 
sentences  ? 

When  you  speak,  does  your  voice  help  the  listener  ? 

Have  you  corrected  some  common  mistake  you  used 
to  make? 

Have  you  learned  some  poems  and  stories  so  well  that 
you  will  not  forget  them  through  the  long  vacation  ? 

Can  you  spell  the  common  words  you  need  to  write 
often  ? 

Can  you  arrange  your  written  work  neatly  on  paper  ? 

Can  you  copy  without  making  a  mistake  ? 

Can  you  learn  new  things  by  using  your  eyes  and 
your  ears? 

When  you  are  having  a  jolly  time  during  the  vacation, 
will  you  say  to  yourself,  "This  will  make  a  good  story 
to  tell  in  the- fourth  grade"?  Or  perhaps  you  will 
plan  to  report  some  interesting  thing  you  learned  by 
using  your  eyes. 

Will  you  try  to  remember? 


Summary  of  Rules  Learned  123 

SUMMARY  OF  RULES   LEARNED 

Use  of  capitals : 

Every  sentence  begins  with  a  capital  letter. 

The  names  of  persons  are  written  with  capitals. 

The  word  /  is  always  written  with  a  capital. 

The  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  are  written  with 
capitals.    * 

The  names  of  places  are  written  with  capitals. 
Use  of  the  period : 

A  period  is  used  at  the  end  of  every  telling  sentence. 

A  period  is  used  after  an  initial. 

A  period  is  used  after  the  short  forms  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Use  of  the  question  mark : 

The  question  mark  is  used  after  every  question. 
Use  of  the  hyphen : 

The  hyphen  is  used  at  the  end  of  a  line  when  part 
of  a  word  is  written  on  the  following  line. 
Use  of  the  comma : 

The  comma  is  used  in  a  note  as  shown  below. 

Dear  Frank, 

Please  come  over  to  my  house  this  evening.     There  is 

fun  on  foot ! 

Your  friend, 

Jack  Williams 

A  comma  sets  off  the  name  of  a  city  or  town  from 
the  name  of  the  state  which  follows  it:  Chicago, 
Illinois. 


124 


Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 


BOOKS   FOR   SUMMER   READING 

Here  is  a  list  of  books  for  vacation  reading.  Your 
teacher  will  be  glad  to  tell  you  the  titles  of  others  if 
you  ask  her  to  do  so. 

Adventures  of  a  Brownie.     Craik. 
Donkey  John  of  the  Toy  Valley.     Morley. 
Fables.     ^Esop. 

Fable  and  Folk  Stories.     Scudder. 
Fifty  Famous  Stories  Retold.     Baldwin. 
History  of  Little  Goody  Two  Shoes.     Goldsmith. 
History  of  the  Robins.      Trimmer. 
Japanese  Fairy  Tales.     Williston. 
Jataka  Tales.     Babbitt. 
Merry  Animal  Tales.     Bingham. 
Old  Mother  West  Wind.     Burgess. 
Pig  Brother  and  Other  Stories. 
Short  Stories  for  Short  People. 
Stories    of    Great   Americans   for 
CANS.     Eggleston. 

Story  of  a  Donkey.  Segur. 
The  Dutch  Twins.  Perkins. 
The  Sandman:  His  Ship  Stories.     Hopkins. 


Richards. 
Aspinwall. 
Little  Ameri- 


America 


125 


AMERICA 

My  country,  'tis  of  thee, 
Sweet  land  of  liberty ; 

Of  thee  I  sing  ; 
Land  where  my  fathers  died, 
Land  of  the  Pilgrims'  pride, 
From  every  mountain  side 

Let  freedom  ring. 


126  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

My  native  country,  —  thee, 
Land  of  the  noble  free,  — 

Thy  name  I  love  ; 
I  love  thy  rocks  and  rills, 
Thy  woods  and  templed  hills ; 
My  heart  with  rapture  thrills 

Like  that  above. 

Let  music  swell  the  breeze, 
And  ring  from  all  the  trees 

Sweet  freedom's  song ; 
Let  mortal  tongues  awake, 
Let  all  that  breathe  partake  ! 
Let  rocks  their  silence  break,  — 

The  sound  prolong. 

Our  fathers'  God,  —  to  Thee, 
Author  of  liberty, 

To  Thee  we  sing ; 
Long  may  our  land  be  bright 
With  freedom's  holy  light ; 
Protect  us  by  Thy  might. 

Great  God,  our  King. 

SAMUEL  F.    SMITH 


FOURTH   GRADE 

TO  THE  GIRLS  AND  BOYS  OF  THE 
FOURTH  GRADE 

Did  you  ever  think  that  there  are  two 
New  Year's  Days  in  the  year? 

To  begin  with,  there  is  the  first  of 
January.  Father  Time  has  allowed  the 
weary  Old  Year  to  lay  down  his  scepter, 
and  the  young,  joyous  New  Year  begins 
to  reign.  Then  there  is  the  second 
New  Year's  Day  —  the  day  when  you 
enter  a  higher  grade  at  school. 

Like  the  first  day  of  January,  the 
school  New  Year's  Day  is  a  beginning 
day,  and  it  too  should  be  a  joyous  day. 
The  old  year  and  the  old  grade,  happy 
and  pleasant  though  they  were,  are  both 
left  behind.  You  will  not  forget  the 
past,  but  if  you  are  a  wide-awake  girl 
or  boy,  you  will  be  eagerly  "looking 
forward  and  not  backward." 

Read  the  story  of  "Bobby  Trotter's 
New  Year's  Gift"  with  your  teacher 
for  your  first  lesson.  It  will  give  you 
something  to  think  about  on  this  New 
Year's  Day,  and  something  to  remem- 
ber through  all  the  days  you  are  in  the 
fourth  grade. 

And  now  "A  Happy  New  Year"  to 

you  all ! 

127 


128  Self -Help  English  Lessons 


Bobby  Trotter's  New  Years  Gift  129 

1.   BOBBY  TROTTER'S   NEW  YEAR'S   GIFT 

It  was  New  Year's  Eve  —  the  night  before  Bobby  Trotter 
was  to  enter  the  fourth  grade.  On  the  back  of  a  chair  hung 
his  new  clothes.  How  fine  they  looked !  Bobby's  eyes 
sparkled  as  he  thought  of  the  four  pockets  in  the  jacket 
and  of  all  that  he  could  crowd  into  them.  And  his  mother 
had  promised  not  to  sew  up  a  single  pocket ! 

On  the  floor  stood  a  pair  of  shining  new  shoes,  and  on  the 
table  lay  his  new  hat  and  a  pretty  plaid -tie  that  he  had 
earned  himself.  Everything  was  ready,  or  at  least  Bobby 
thought  so,  which  was  about  the  same  thing. 

With  a  last  fond  look  at  his  treasures,  Bobby  turned 
out  the  light  and  jumped  into  bed.  Scarcely  had  his  curly 
head  touched  the  pillow  when  something  happened. 

Dancing  gayly  along  a  moonbeam,  a  dainty  httle  fairy 
entered  the  room.  She  was  dressed  in  fluffy  white,  and 
her  gauzy  wings  were  of  delicate  green.  Her  wand  glistened 
like  silver  in  the  moonhght. 

Passing  the  new  clothes,  she  flew  directly  to  the  chair  on 
which  Bobby  had  carelessly  thrown  his  old  clothes  when 
he  took  them  off.  To  Bobby's  astonishment,  she  began 
to  search  the  pockets  of  his  jacket. 

"Dear  me!"  thought  Bobby  as  he  watched  her.  "l 
didn't  know  that  fairies  were  pickpockets !  " 

Pretty  soon  he  saw  the  fairy  draw  a  Httle  book  from  a 
jacket  pocket.  In  the  bright  moonhght  he  could  read  the 
words  on  the  cover : 

THIRD-GRADE  PICTURE  BOOK 

Bobby  Trotter,  Artist 

While  Bobby  was  wondering  how  the  book  got  into  his 
pocket,  the  fairy  came  to  the  bed  and  said  in  a  sweet, 
tinkUng  voice,  "May  I  look  at  your  book,  Bobby?" 


130  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

"Let's  look  at  it  together,"  answered  Bobby,  who  at 
once  took  a  fancy  to  the  fairy. 

The  Httle  sprite  opened  the  book  and  turned  the  pages, 
one  by  one.  Some  were  fair  and  white,  with  beautiful 
pictures,  and  others  were  covered  with  ugly  blots^ 

''Who  drew  that  picture?"  asked  Bobby,  as  they  came 
to  a  page  more  beautiful  than  the  rest. 

''Why,  Bobby,"  laughed  the  fairy,  "you  drew  it  your- 
self. Don't  you  remember  the  day  you  wouldn't  allow 
the  big  boys  to  bully  little  Tom  Sands  on  the  play- 
ground?" 

"Did  I  make  all  the  pictures?"  asked  Bobby,  very  much 
interested. 

"Yes,  Bobby,  every  one,"  replied  the  fairy.  "Every 
time  you  remembered  to  be  polite  or  helpful,  or  did  your 
work  well,  or  had  a  struggle  with  a  bad  habit,  or  played 
fair  at  home  or  at  school,  you  made  one  of  the 
pictures." 

"But  who  made  the  blots?"  complained  Bobby,  be- 
ginning to  feel  that  some  one  had  played  a  trick  on  him. 
"They  spoil  the  book." 

"Ah,  Bobby,  you  made  those  too,"  explained  the  fairy. 
"This  big  one  was  made  one  day  when  you  enjoyed  the 
stories  told  by  the  other  children  but  had  none  ready  to 
give  in  return.  These  little  blots  came  when  you  used  a 
word  that  has  no  right  to  be  in  our  beautiful  language. 
The  others  splashed  upon  the  pages  when  you  were  care- 
less, or  forgot  to  be  polite,  or — " 

"Please  stop,"  interrupted  Bobby.  "Can't  we  get 
rid  of  the  blots?" 

The  fairy  did  not  answer  at  once.  She  looked  squarely 
at  Bobby  with  her  clear,  blue  eyes.  What  she  saw  in 
his  chubby  face  made  her  look  very  happy. 

"Yes,   Bobby,"   she   said,   "not   the   tiniest  blot   shall 


Bobby  Trotter's  New   Years  Gift  131 

remain."  Then  she  waved  her  wand  over  the  blotted 
pages,  one  by  one.  Instantly  they  became  white  and  shin- 
ing. 

"Shall  we  leave  the  picture  pages?"  asked  the  fairy. 

*'No,"  answered  Bobby,  "please  change  those  too.  T 
think  I'd  rather  make  new  pictures." 

"That  is  just  what  I  should  do  if  I  were  in  your  place," 
she  tiokled.  "But  beautiful  pictures  can  never  really  be 
destroyed ;  .  so  there  will  be  something  to  remind  you  of 
the  ones  you  made  last  year." 

Once  more  she  waved  her  wand,  and  aU  the  pictures 
disappeared.  But  on  every  shining  page  where  a  picture 
had  been,  now  blazed  a  golden  star !  On  the  cover  were 
these  words  in  letters  of  gold : 

FOURTH-GRADE  PICTURE  BOOK 

Bobby  Trotter,  Artist 

"This  is  my  New  Year's  gift  to  you,  Bobby,"  whispered 
the  fairy.  Then  she  flew  to  his  new  clothes,  slipped  the 
book  into  a  jacket  pocket,  leaped  upon  a  moonbeam,  and 
was  off.  But  just  before  she  disappeared,  she  called 
back  merrily,  "A  Happy  New  Year,  Bobby !" 

Getting  Ready  for  the  Next  Lesson 

When  you  were  having  good  times  during  the  long 
vacation,  did  you  decide  which  you  would  share  with 
your  classmates  when  school  opened?  You  were 
asked  to  come  prepared  to  tell  about  a  jolly  time  you 
had,  or  to  report  something  you  learned  by  using  your 
eyes.     Some  of  you  surely  remembered. 

Tomorrow  you  will  begin  to  tell  these  stories.     If 


132  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

there  are  new  pupils  in  the  class  —  pupils  who  did  not 
use  this  book  last  year  —  they  may  be  the  audience 
for  the  first  of  the  story-telling  days.  If  any  forgot 
to  come  prepared,  they  should  make  up  for  it  by  think- 
ing out  a  specially  interesting  story  now. 

When  thinking  out  your  stories,  keep  in  mind  the 
five  things  you  tried  to  do  last  year  :  have  an  interesting 
story  to  tell ;  tell  it  in  short,  clear  sentences ;  let  your 
voice  help  in  every  possible  way ;  tell  things  in  their 
right  order;  and  do  not  begin  many  sentences  with 
the  same  word. 

2.   TELLING   VACATION   STORIES 

TeUing  the  vacation  stories  will  be  a  good  way  to  get 
acquainted  with  each  other.  Those  who  were  in  the 
class  last  year  may  tell  their  stories  the  first  day.  Make 
a  special  effort  to  interest  the  new  pupUs. 

On  the  second  day  those  who  did  not  have  time  to  do 
so  on  the  first  day  may  tell  their  stories. 

Should  you  like  to  begin,  a  book  of  stories  to  put  into 
a  class  library?  If  you  should,  select  by  vote  three  or 
four  of  the  best  ones.  Perhaps  the  champion  story- 
tellers will  be  glad  to  write  their  stories  during  a  study 
period.     These  will  then  be  saved  for  the  book. 

3.   WRITING   DATES 

If  you  are  to  save  some  of  your  stories,  you  should 
write  on  each  the  date  on  which  the  story  was  written. 
What  good  reason  for  this  can  you  think  of  ? 


Writing  Dates  133 

Here  is  a  date  properly  written : 

September  15,  1922 

What  mark  sets  off  September  15  from  the  year? 
How  does  the  comma  help  you  in  reading  the  date? 
When  you  read  the  date,  does  your  voice  set  off  Sep- 
tember 15  from  the  year? 

If  you  are  not  sure  that  you  can  spell  the  names  of 
the  months,  study  them  thoroughly  now.  Which 
names  are  the  Jiardest  to  spell?  Pronounce  all  the 
names  very  distinctly.  Do  not  forget  the  r  in  the 
second  syllable  of  February. 


January 

April 

July 

October 

February 

May 

August 

November 

March 

June 

September 

December 

Write  the  date  of  your  last  birthday;  the  date  of 
next  Christmas ;  the  date  of  Independence  Day  two 
years  ago  ;  today's  date  ;  last  Washington's  Birthday ; 
two  dates  dictated  by  your  teacher. 

For  practice  it  will  be  a  good  plan  for  several  to  write 
the  date  on  the  blackboard  every  day  until  all  can 
write  it  promptly  and  correctly. 

After  this,  whenever  you  have  a  written  lesson,  write 
the  date  on  your  paper.  The  upper  right  comer  is 
a  good  place  for  it,  but  there  is  no  rule.  Your  teacher 
win  help  you  to  decide  where  to  place  it. 

The  names  of  the  months  begin  with  capitals. 

A  comma  sets  ofif  the  day  of  the  month  from  the  year. 


134  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

4.   TELLING    STORIES   FROM   A   PICTURE 

Can  you  read  the  story  in  the  circus  picture?  You 
may  all  help  make  a  word  picture  of  it. 

Will  you  need  to  mention  the  animal  cages  in  telling 
the  story  ?  What  other  things  need  not  be  mentioned  ? 
Why  did  the  artist  put  them  into  the  picture  ? 

Tell  the  story  as  if  you  were  the  boy  in  the  picture. 
Which  of  the  following  sentences  would  make  the  best 
beginning  sentence?     Why? 

Once  I  went  to  a  circus. 

I  shall  never  forget  my  first  ride  on  an  elephant. 

Such  fun  as  I  had  at  the  circus ! 

Don't  ride  on  an  elephant  if  you  are  timid. 

Read  the  third  sentence  as  the  mark  at  the  end  tells 
you  to  read  it.  It  is  called  an  exclamation  mark. 
Pronounce  exclamation  five  times  after  your  teacher. 

Remember  that  the  exclamation  mark  always  shows 
that  the  writer  wished  to  express  strong  feeling  of  some 
sort.     What  feeling  does  this  sentence  express? 

Think  of  other  beginning  sentences,  and  choose  one 
that  would  make  an  audience  eager  to  hear  the  rest  of 
the  story.  Your  teacher  will  write  the  story  on  the 
blackboard  as  you  build  it  sentence  by  sentence. 

Read  the  story  aloud,  and  see  if  it  can  be  improved. 

5.    STUDYING   BEGINNING    SENTENCES 

Here  is  a  composition  written  by  a  boy  of  about  your 
age: 


Studying  Beginning  Sentences 


135 


136  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

I  have  a  dog.  His  name  is  Fido.  Fido  can  march  on 
his  hind  legs.  Whenever  he  hears  music,  he  begins  to 
parade.     He  is  the  pride  of  the  entire  block. 

In  what  respects  is  the  story  well  told?  Does  the 
first  sentence  make  you  eager  to  hear  the  rest  of  the 
story?  Where  does  the  interesting  part  begin? 
Change  the  story  so  that  it  will  have  a  good  beginning 
sentence. 

Suppose  you  wished  to  tell  that  you  went  to  a  picnic, 
rowed  on  the  lake,  and  fell  into  the  water.  Give  good 
beginning  sentences.  The  class  may  choose  the  best 
one. 

Give  good  beginning  sentences  for  a  story  of  a  sur- 
prise party  you  had  on  your  birthday. 

Give  good  beginning  sentences  for  the  stories  you 
read  in  the  pictures  on  pages  53  and  117. 

For  your  next  lesson  you  may  tell  short  stories  about 
a  pet,  a  toy,  a  frolic  you  have  had,  or  some  exciting 
experience.  How  should  the  beginning  sentence  make 
the  listeners  feel? 

6.   TELLING   THE   STORIES 

After  each  story  has  been  told,  the  children  may 
decide  if  the  first  sentence  aroused  their  interest.  If 
it  did  not,  help  the  story-teller  get  a  better  beginning 
sentence. 

Do  you  realize  how  much  you  can  help  your  class- 
mates during  language  lessons  by  telling  what  you 


Copying  Lesson  137 

think  of  their  stories?  Of  course,  they  will  not  enjoy 
having  you  find  fault  with  them.  But  if  you  very 
politely  suggest  some  way  in  which  a  story  can  be 
improved,  the  pupil  who  told  it  will  be  glad  of  your 
help  and  will  be  glad  to  help  you  in  turn. 

Talk  over  with  your  teacher  the  best  ways  to  criticize 
stories.  Remember  that  when  you  criticize,  you  speak 
of  the  good  things  as  well  as  of  those  that  are  not  so 
good. 

Why  is  it  a  good  plan  to  mention  the  good  things 
first?.  Why  is  it  useless  to  mention  matters  that  can 
be  improved  unless  you  are  ready  to  tell  how  they  can 
be  improved? 

7.   COPYING   LESSON 

Before  you  begin  to  copy  the  following  note,  some 
one  may  tell  how  it  should  first  be  studied.  The  class 
may  give  any  step  that  is  omitted.  If  necessary,  turn 
back  to  page  28  and  review. 

Give  a  reason  for  every  capital  and  every  mark. 
Which  mark  shows  how  the  writer  felt?  Show  how 
she  would  have  spoken  the  sentence  followed  by  the 
exclamation  mark.  What  feeling  does  the  sentence 
express  ? 

Give  special  attention  to  the  spelling  of  dear,  Satur- 
day, such,  thought,  minute,  loving.  Why  should  you 
write  very  plainly  ? 

When  should  the  punctuation  marks  be  made  ?  Do 
you  always  reniember  this? 


138  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Dear  Mary, 

Did  you  ever  ride  on  an  elephant?  Tom  and  I  did  last 
Saturday  at  the  circus.  Such  a  scare  as  I  had !  I  thought 
every  minute  I  should  fall  off.  Tom  must  feel  my  arms 
around  his  waist  yet. 

Your  loving  cousin, 

Jennie 

You  should  copy  the  note  perfectly.  Be  sure  to  date 
your  paper.  Correct  if  necessary,  but  remember  that 
it  is  the  work  you  do  th^  first  time  that  helps  form  good 
habits.     Why  should  you  write  carefully  ? 

8.  DICTATION   LESSON 

Today  you  are  to  have  a  dictation  lesson  you  have 
never  seen.     Take  a  few  minutes  to  review  page  123. 

Your  teacher  will  first  read  the  entire  lesson.  Decide 
if  the  sentences  should  be  written  separately  or  as  a 
paragraph.     Give  a  reason  for  your  opinion. 

The  sentences  will  then  be  read  again,  one  by  one. 
Do  not  begin  to  write  until  you  have  the  entire  sentence 
in  your  mind.  Say  it  to  yourself  without  makuig  any 
sound  with  your  lips. 

9.  REVIEWING   POEMS 

During  the  third-grade  year  you  learned  at  least 
four  poems.  Review  these  before  your  next  lesson, 
and  be  ready  to  recite  any  of  them. 

If  the  new  pupils  in  the  class  have  learned  any  poems, 
it  will  be  particularly  interesting  to  hear  them. 


Reviewing  Stories  139 

If  you  learn  at  least  four  poems  each  year,  beginning 
with  the  third  grade,  how  many  will  you  know  at  the 
end  of  the  eighth  grade  ?  How  many  will  you  know  if 
you  remember  also  two  poems  learned  in  the  first 
grade  and  two  in  the  second? 

Reciting  the  Poems 

When  reciting  your  poems,  think  of  the  pupils  who 
were  not  in  your  class  last  year.  Try  to  bring  out  the 
meaning  and  the»beauty  of  the  poems  so  that  they  will 
wish  tp  learn  the  same  ones.  Listen  carefully  when 
they  recite  the  poems  they  learned  in  some  other  school. 

Ask  your  teacher  to  allow  you  to  review  these  poems 
now  and  then  so  that  they  will  not  be  forgotten. 

For  your  next  lesson  you  may  review  the  short 
stories  you  committed  to  memor>^  in  the  third  grade. 
These  too  you  should  learn  so  that  you  will  never  forget 
them.     They  are  on  pages  70,  78,  96,  112,  and  113. 

10.   REVIEWING    STORIES 

When  telling  the  stories,  be  sure  to  stand  where  all 
can  see  you  and  to  speak  so  that  all  can  hear. 

Try  to  tell  them  as  if  they  were  your  own  stories. 
Make  the  listeners  enjoy  hearing  them. 

Which  pupils  told  the  stories  well  ?  Did  they  speak 
as  if  they  enjoyed  them? 

These  stories,  also,  should  be  reviewed  from  time  to 
time. 


140 


Self-Help  English  Lessons 


11.   DAILY  DRILL  EXERCISE 


Pronouncing  Words  Correctly 

Why  should  we  pronounce  all  words  distinctly? 
Did  you  ever  hear  any  one  say,  "He  tole  me" ?  What 
should  have  been  said?  A  good  many  children  and 
some  older  people  do  not  pronounce  the  last  letter  of 
words.  See  how  many  can  cross  the  brook  without 
tumbling  into  the  water. 

Read  these  sentences : 


Stories  to  Learn  141 

Who  told  the  news  ? 

A  Httle  bird  told  me. 

The  robin  told  the  wren  and  the  sparrow. 

The  clock  stopped  suddenly. 

Columbus  asked  for  ships  and  money. 

Fred  laughed  when  he  sHpped. 

Will  you  hold  my  pony  ? 


Use  for  a  few  days  these  words  and  sentences  in  your 
three-minute  drills.  Read  over  the  words  on  pages  77 
and  78,  and  make  a  list  of  any  that  still  give  you 
trouble.     Review  these  also  every  day. 

12.   STORIES   TO   LEARN 

The  Boy  Who  Stole  Apples 

A  farmer  found  a  boy  in  one  of  his  trees,  stealing  apples. 
He  told  him  to  come  down,  but  the  boy  refused.  ''Very 
well,  then,  I  will  bring  you  down,"  said  the  farmer.  He 
pulled  some  tufts  of  grass  and  threw  them  at  the  thief. 
This  only  made  the  boy  laugh.  ''If  neither  words  nor 
grass  will  do,  I  will  try  something  else,"  said  the  old  man. 
Then  he  pelted  the  boy  with  stones.  The  culprit  quickly 
came  down  and  begged  the  farmer's  pardon. 

Do  you  remember  what  a  fable  is?  Read  this  one. 
What  does  it  teach? 

What  is  a  culprit?  If  you  do  not  know,  find  out 
from  the  way  in  which  the  word  is  used.  Show  by 
m(5ving  your  arms  how  the  farmer  pelted  the  boy  with 
stones.     Show  how  the  bo}^  clambered  down. 


142  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

What  is  a  tuft  of  grass  ?  Notice  how  neither  grass  nor 
words  is  used  in  the  story.  Use  the  following  groups  of 
words  in  original  sentences :  neither  gold  nor  silver, 
neither  cold  nor  hot,  neither  Ben  nor  Frank. 

How  THE  Butterflies  Came 

Have  you  seen  the  beautiful  red,  white,  and  yellow 
butterflies  that  look  like  flowers?  Once  upon  a  time  they 
really  were  flowers.  They  flapped  their  pretty  petals  as 
if  they  were  wings.  Suddenly  off  they  flew !  For  a  long 
time  they  frohckedin  the  warm  sunshine,  and  then  went 
back  to  their  stalks.  They  behaved  so  well  that  the  Flower 
Fairy  allowed  them  to  fly  every  day.  By  and  by  their 
petals  became  real  wings,  and  the  flowers  turned  into 
butterflies. 

HANS   CHRISTIAN  ANDERSEN 

Read  this  little  story.  Take  special  care  to  bring 
out  the  meaning  of  the  second  sentence.  What  are  the 
petals  of  a  flower?  What  color  are  the  petals  of  a 
buttercup  ? 

Have  you  ever  noticed  how  much  like  a  butterfly 
the  sweet-pea  blossom  looks?  A  great  poet  once 
described  it  as  being  "on  tiptoe  for  a  flight."  Do  you 
think  that  is  a  good  description?  Perhaps  Hans 
Christian  Andersen  was  thinking  of  sweet  peas  when 
he  wrote  the  story. 

Use  these  words  in  sentences  of  your  own :  flapped, 
frolicked,  stalks,  real.  Write  on  the  blackboard  some 
of  the  sentences. 


Following  Directions  143 

Each  of  you  may  choose  one  of  these  stories  to  commit 
to  memory.  Your  teacher  will  tell  you  when  to  be 
ready  to  recite  it. 

Learning  these  stories  will  help  you  not  only  to  form 
good  sentences,  but  also  to  learn  words  you  are  not 
accustomed  to  use.  Try  to  use  at  other  times  than 
when  telling  the  stories  the  words  that  you  learn. 

For  your  next  lesson  you  will  need  a  piece  of  paper  six 
inches  square  and  a  pair  of  scissors. 

13.   FOLLOWING   DIRECTIONS 

Who  remembers  what  two  things  should  always  be 
done  before  carrying  out  a  direction?  If  you  have 
forgotten,  turn  back  to  page  67  and  review. 

Carry  out  each  of  the  following  directions  before 
reading  the  next  one.     Read  !     Think  !     Act ! 

1.  Place  the  lower  edge  of  the  square  on  the  upper 
edge  and  crease  the  fold.     Open. 

2.  Place  the  upper  edge  upon  the  fold  just  made  and 
crease  the  fold.     Open. 

3.  Place  the  lower  edge  upon  the  first  fold  made 
and  crease  the  fold.     Open. 

4.  Turn  your  paper  halfway  around.  The  folds 
should  now  extend  up  and  down  instead  of  from  right 
to  left. 

5.  Fold  the  paper  again  by  following  once  more  the 
first  three  directions.  How  many  small  squares  have 
you  now  ? 


144  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

6.  Find  the  square  in  the  upper  right  corner.     Cut 
the  lower  edge  of  this  square. 

7.  Cut  the  lower  edge  of  the  upper  left  square. 

8.  Cut  the  upper  edge  of  the  lower  right  square. 

9.  Cut  the  upper  edge  of  the  lower  left  square. 

10.  Fold  the  two  middle  squares  at  the  right  so  that 
they  will  stand  upright. 

1 1 .  Do  the  same  with  the  two  middle  squares  at  the 
left. 

12.  Make  the  upper  row  of  squares  stand  upright. 

13.  Make  the  lower  row  of  squares  stand  upright. 

14.  Slip  the  extra  square  at  each  corner  inside  the 
side  square  next  to  it.  Paste  it  to  this  square,  or  fasten 
it  in  some  other  way. 

15.  What  have  you  made? 

Before  your  next  lesson  you  may  fold  another  square 
just  as  you  did  today.  Try  to  make  a  table,  a  chair, 
a  tent,  or  some  other  simple  object.  Cut  on  the  lines, 
or  cut  out  squares.  Bring  the  object  to  class,  and,  if 
possible,  do  not  show  it  until  your  turn  comes  to  recite. 
You  will  then  explain  how  you  made  it. 

14.     EXPLAINING   HOW  THINGS   WERE   MADE 

Tell  clearly  how  you  made  the  object,  step  by  step. 
If  the  other  pupils  do  not  understand,  they  should  ask 
questions. 

Look  out  for  the  word  "then."  Here  are  two 
stories  to  compare : 


Study  of  a  Poem  145 

I  cut  out  a  square.  Then  I  folded  it  into  sixteen  small 
squares.  Then  I  cut  out  the  corner  squares.  Then  I 
folded  .  .  .  and  so  on. 

I  cut  out  a  square  and  folded  it  into  sixteen  small  squares. 
I  cut  out  each  corner  square.  When  this  was  done,  I 
folded.  .  .  .     Then  I  .  .  .  and  so  on. 

Which  way  do  you  like  the  better,  and  why  ? 

I5.   SPELLING   REVIEW 

Review  all  the  words  studied  last  year.  They  are 
on  pages  43,  55,  85,  and  116.  Review  also  the  names 
of  the  months  on  page  133. 

Perhaps  your  teacher  will  use  a  period  for  having 
a  spelling  match.  Use  these  words  and  others  you  need 
to  review. 

Daily  Drill  Exercise  —  Review 

Review  for  a  few  days  the  drill  exercises  on  pages 
100  and  107.  Be  ready  promptly,  so  that  no  time  will 
be  lost. 

16.   STUDY   OF  A   POEM 

AuTtnviN  Fires 

In  the  other  gardens 

And  all  up  the  vale, 
From  the  autumn  bonfires 

See  the  smoke  trail ! 


146  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Pleasant  summer  over, 

And  all  the  summer  flowers,  — 

The  red  fire  blazes, 

The  gray  smoke  towers. 

Sing  a  song  of  seasons ! 

Something  bright  in  all ! 
Flowers  in  the  summer, 

Fires  in  the  fall. 

ROBERT  LOUIS   STEVENSON 

Try  to  see  the  pictures  in  this  poem  as  your  teacher 
reads  it  to  you.  What  is  a  vale?  Do  you  see  the 
smoke  trail?  Show  how  it  trails  by  using  the  side  of 
a  piece  of  crayon  on  the  blackboard. 

What  word  in  the  second  stanza  tells  how  the  smoke 
rises  ?     Make  the  picture  on  the  blackboard. 

Why  do  people  make  bonfires  in  autumn  ?  What  are 
some  of  the  things  they  burn?  Do  you  enjoy  seeing 
the  fires  as  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  did? 

Read  the  poem  aloud.     What  do  you  like  about  it  ? 

17.   GROUP   STORY-TELLING 

Do  you  remember  the  poem,  "Who  Loves  the  Trees 
Best"?     Review  it.     See  page  32. 

Today  you  may  decide  which  season  loves  the  chil- 
dren best.  Divide  the  class  into  five  groups.  One 
group  will  be  the  judges.  Each  of  the  remaining  groups 
vvill  represent  one  of  the  seasons.  Each  group  should 
have  a  leader. 

The  teacher  will  ask,  "Who  loves  the  children  best?" 


Another  Autumn  Poem  147 

The  leader  of  the  spring  group  begins,  "  I  love  them  best. 
I  give  them,"  etc.,  telling  in  simple,  clear  sentences  the 
many  good  and  pleasant  things  that  spring  does  for 
children.  When  the  leader  has  finished,  the  remaining 
pupils  in  the  group  may  tell  anything  they  wish  to  add. 
The  teacher  then  asks  the  same  question  of  the  other 
groups.  At  the  last  the  judges  may  tell  which  season 
best  proved  its  case. 

18.   ANOTHER  AUTUMN   POEM 

GOLDENROD 

Spring  is  the  morning  of  the  year, 
And  summer  is  the  noontide  bright ; 

The  autumn  is  the  evening  clear 

That  comes  before  the  winter's  night. 

And  in  the  evening,  everywhere 
Along  the  roadside,  up  and  down, 

I  see  the  golden  torches  flare 
Like  lighted  street  lamps  in  the  town. 

I  think  the  butterfly  and  bee. 

From  distant  meadows  coming  back, 

Are  quite  contented  when  they  see 

These  lamps  along  the  homeward  track. 

But  those  who  stay  too  late  get  lost ; 

For  when  the  darkness  falls  about, 
Down  every  lighted  street  the  Frost 

Will  go  and  put  the  torches  out. 

FEANK  DEMPSTER   SHERMAN 


148  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Here  is  another  autumn  poem.  The  poet  is  thinking 
of  the  year  as  a  long  day.  What  part  of  the  day  is 
spring?  What  part  is  summer?  What  part  is 
autumn?     What  part  is  winter? 

Does  the  poem  give  a  city  or  a  country  picture? 
WTiy  does  the  poet  compare  the  goldenrod  to  street 
lamps?  How  did  the  torches  help  the  little  workers? 
What  happened  to  those  who  stayed  too  late,  and 
why? 

What  words,  or  groups  of  words,  do  you  particularly 
like?  Read  the  poem  several  times,  trying  each  time 
to  see  the  pictures  more  distinctly. 

You  may  learn  either  this  poem  or  the  one  on  page 
145.  Your  teacher  will  tell  you  when  to  be  ready  to 
recite  the  one  you  choose. 

19.    COPYING   LESSON 

Copy  the  first  stanza  of  "  Goldenrod,"  after  studying 
it  carefully. 

With  what  kind  of  letter  does  each  line  begin  ?  Look 
at  other  poems.  Do  the  lines  begin  in  the  same  way  ? 
Does  each  line  begin  a  new  sentence  ?  It  is  the  custom 
to  begin  each  line  of  poetry  with  a  capital  letter,  even 
though  the  first  word  does  not  begin  a  new  sentence. 
Never  forget  this  capital.  Copy  the  mark  in 
"winter's."     You  will  soon  learn  why  it  is  used. 

The  first  word  of  every  line  of  poetry  begins  with  a  capital 
letter. 


Writing  a  Story  149 

What  other  uses  of  capitals  have  you  learned? 
Review  the  list  on  page  1 23  if  necessary.  Write  on  the 
blackboard  a  sentence  for  each  of  the  uses. 

20.   TELLING   STORIES   FROM   A   PICTURE 

Read  the  picture  on  the  following  page.  Are  the 
children  enjoying  themselves?  What  different  things 
may  they  be  watching  ?  Think  of  as  many  as  possible. 
Which  will  make  the  best  story,  and  why  ? 

The  class  may  decide  who  in  the  picture  shall  tell  the 
story.'  Suggest  words  that  you  will  need  to  use. 
Think  of  good  beginning  sentences.  Choose  one  and 
finish  the  story,  all  helping. 

When  it  has  been  written  on  the  blackboard,  read  it 
once  more  and  see  if  it  can  be  improved.  You  may 
think  of  better  words  than  were  used  at  first. 

21.   WRITING   A   STORY 

Today  you  may  each  write  a  story  about  the  picture, 
but  play  that  the  children  are  looking  at  something 
different  from  what  was  chosen  for  the  other  story. 
Some  of  you  may  think  of  something  not  mentioned 
before. 

Remember  these  directions : 

Choose  your  beginning  sentence  carefully. 
Think  in  short  sentences. 

Think  out  your  story  as  if  you  were  going  to  tell  it 
orally. 


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Daily  Drill  Exercise  151 

Do  not  write  a  word  until  you  have  the  entire 

sentence  in  mind. 
Remember   margins,   indention,   capitals,   marks, 

and  spelling. 

Do  your  best !  Some  of  these  stories  will  be  put  into 
the  class  storybook. 

22.   DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Pronduncing  Words  Correctly 

Buzz  !  buzz  !  buzz  ! 

This  is  the  song  of  the  bee. 

His  legs  are  of  yellow ; 

A  jolly  good  fellow, 

And  yet  a  great  worker  is  he. 

*  MARIAN   DOUGLASS 

Read  this  little  poem.  WTiat  color  are  the  bee's 
legs?  What  is  he  called  in  the  fourth  line?  Pro- 
nounce yellow  and  fellow  very  distinctly. 

Read  the  following  words  as  rapidly  as  you  can  and 
still  pronounce  them  distinctly  :  yellow,  fellow,  mellow, 
follow,  hollow,  window.     Read  the  sentences  : 

1.  The  bee  is  a  jolly  fellow. 

2.  His  legs  are  yellow. 

3.  How  mellow  the  peaches  are  ! 

4.  Follow  the  leader. 

5.  Please  open  the  window. 

6.  May  I  borrow  your  eraser? 

7.  The  jack-o'-lantern  was  hollow. 


152  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Use  for  a  few  days  the  words  and  sentences  in  your 
three-minute  drills.  Read  also  once  each  day  a  set  of 
last  year's  "correct  use"  sentences  which  you  need  to 
review. 

23.   STUDY   OF   TITLES 

The  name  of  a  book,  or  a  story,  or  a  poem  is  called 
its  title.  What  is  the  title  of  this  book?  What  is  the 
title  of  the  story  on  page  1 29  ?  What  is  the  title  of  the 
poem  on  page  145?  What  is  the  title  of  the  poem 
you  studied  several  days  ago?  What  was  the  title 
of  your  last  reading  lesson  ? 

Here  are  some  titles  taken  from  readers : 

1.  The  First  Rose  of  Summer. 

2.  The  Lion  and  the  Mouse. 

3.  The  Ten  Fairy  Servants. 

4.  The  Palace  of  the  Princess. 

5.  Christmas  in  the  Olden  Time. 

Does  the  first  title  tell  something  about  The  First 
Rose  of  Summer,  or  does  it  simply  name  it  ?  Look  at 
the  other  titles.  Do  they  simply  name  things,  or  do 
they  tell  something  about  them? 

The  title  is  a  kind  of  label  to  tell  you  what  the  story 
is  about,  just  as  the  label  on  a  fruit  jar  tells  you  what 
is  in  the  jar.  A  label  might  read,  "There  is  raspberry 
jam  in  this  jar,"  but  the  words  "Raspberry  Jam"  tell 
you  what  is  in  the  jar  quite  as  well  as  the  sentence 
would. 


Making  Titles  for  Stories  and  Pictures     153 

In  the  same  way  a  book  might  say,  "This  story  tells 
about  Little  Red  Riding  Hood."  But  if  you  see  the 
words  "Little  Red  Riding  Hood"  at  the  head  of  the 
story,  you  know  at  once  what  the  story  is  about. 

Which  words  in  the  titles  begin  with  capital  letters  ? 
These  capital  letters  make  the  important  words  stand 
out  very  plainly.  Which  words  in  the  titles  are  not 
written  with  capitals? 

The  first  word^  the  last  word,  and  all  other  important 
words  of  a  title  begin  with  capital  letters. 

24.   MAKING   TITLES   FOR   STORIES   AND   PICTURES 

Try  to  have  your  title  tell  clearly  what  your  story  is 
about.  If  you  were  to  tell  about  a  trick  of  your  dog, 
would  " Fido "  be  a  good  title ?  Why  not?  In  trying 
to  get  a  good  title,  it  is  a  helpful  plan  to  think  first  of 
a  sentence.  You  might  say,  for  instance,  "I  am 
going  to  tell  how  Fido  marches."  You  will  see  then 
that  "How  Fido  Marches"  makes  a  good  title. 

With  the  help  of  your  teacher,  make  titles  for  stories 
you  might  teU  about  the  pictures  on  pages  135  and  150. 
Make  several  for  each  picture. 

Where  is  the  title  of  a  story  written  ? 

After  this,  whenever  you  tell  or  write  a  story,  give  it 
a  title. 

Seat  Work 

For  seat  work  you  may  each  write  the  title  and  the 
first  sentence  of  a  story.     Have  this  ready  for  your 


154  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

next  lesson.  Another  pupil  will  finish  the  story. 
Think  out  the  entire  story  so  that  you  can  compare 
your  ending  with  the  one  given  in  class. 

In  arranging  your  work,  think  whether  the  title  is 
long  or  short  before  beginning  to  write  it.  You  will 
then  be  able  to  place  it  well. 

25.  FINISHING    STORIES 

In  class  you  may  exchange  papers,  and  finish  the 
stories  given  to  you.  Your  teacher  will  give  you  a  few 
minutes  to  think  out  the  rest  of  the  story.  Think 
quickly  I  —  hut  think  ! 

When  called  on,  read  what  is  on  the  paper,  and  then 
finish  the  story  as  though  it  were  all  written.  The 
pupil  who  wrote  the  first  sentence  may  teU  his  ending 
if  it  is  more  interesting. 

Write  the  story  during  your  next  study  period, 
copying  the  part  written  by  another  pupil.  Some  of 
these  stories  will  be  put  into  the  class  storybook  to 
finish  it.  Each  pupil  should  have  at  least  one  story 
in  the  book. 

What  pleasant  things  can  you  do  with  the  book  ? 

26.  STORIES   TO   LEARN 
The  Boys  and  the  Frogs 

A  number  of  frogs  were  once  playing  beside  a  pond.  By 
and  by  some  boys  came  that  way,  and  the  frogs  dived 
into  the  water.     As  soon  as  a  frog  raised  its  head,  the 


Stories  to  Learn  155 

boys  pelted  it  with  stones.  At  last  one  of  the  frogs  said, 
"Boys,  have  you  never  thought  that  what  is  fun  for  you 
may  be  death  to  us?" 

What  does  pelted  mean?  In  what  other  story  was 
this  word  used  ?     What  does  this  fable  teach  ? 

Recite  the  stanza  of  poetry  beginning,  "He  prayeth 
best."  If  you  do  not  recall  it  perfectly,  turn  back  to 
page  76  and  learn  it  once  more. 

»■ 

The  Moon's  Coat 

The  moon  once  asked  a  fairy  to  make  a  coat  for  her. 
The  good  fairy  cut  out  the  coat,  and  in  a  few  days  the 
moon  came  to  try  it  on.  The  coat  was  far  too  small. 
When  the  seams  had  been  let  out,  the  moon  came  again. 
This  time  the  coat  was  too  large.  "How  can  I  fit  you  when 
you  are  always  changing  your  size?"  asked  the  fairy. 
"Sometimes  you  are  a  full  moon,  and  sometimes  you  are 
a  new  moon.  Then  again,  you  are  neither  the  one  nor 
the  other."     So  the  moon  had  to  go  without  a  coat. 

Read  the  story.  Draw  on  the  blackboard  pictures  of 
the  new  moon  and  the  full  moon. 

Study  one  of  these  stories  so  thoroughly  that  you 
can  tell  it  well.  Hold  rather  closely  to  the  words  of 
the  book.  Or,  if  you  know  any  good  story  about 
"  The  Man  in  the  Moon,"  and  prefer  to  tell  that,  you 
may  do  so.  Think  out  the  story  carefully,  and  tell  it 
in  short  sentences.  Your  teacher  will  tell  you  when 
to  be  ready  to  tell  the  stories. 


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27.   DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 
A  Language  Drive 

In  the  third  grade  you  had  two  language  drives. 
What  word  did  you  try  to  drive  out  of  the  language  in 
the  first?  What  words  did  you  try  to  use  correctly 
in  the  second  drive? 

Do  you  still  have  trouble  with  any  of  these  words  ? 
If  you  do,  read  once  each  day  in  your  drills  the  sentences 
containing  the  correct  forms.  Remember  that  a  lan- 
guage drive  will  do  no  good  unless  you  conquer  tlie  had 
habit.  One  of  these  wrong  forms  will  spoil  an  entire 
sentence  or  paragraph,  just  as  saying  that  eight  times 
six  are  forty- two  would  spoil  an  example  in  arithmetic. 

In  this  drive  you  will  try  to  get  rid  of  the  incorrect 
expressions  havenH  no,  haven't  got  no,  and  ainH  got  no. 


A  Language  Game 


157 


They  are  used  sometimes  instead  of  has  no,  have  no, 
hasn't  any,  or  haven't  any. 

Use  for  a  few  days  the  following  exercises  in  your 
three-minute  drills : 

1 .  Have  you  any  papers  ? 

2.  No,  I  haven't  any. 

3.  Father  hasn't  any  time  to  spare. 

4.  Baby  hasn't  any  teeth. 

5.  The  sun  hasn't  set  yet. 

6.  I  haven't  any  pencil. 

7.  We  have  no  time  to  play. 

8.  The  grocer  has  no  sugar. 


I  have  no 
I  haven't  any 
You  have  no 
You  haven't  any 


She  has  no 
She  hasn't  any 
It  has  no 
It  hasn't  any 


They  have  no 
They  haven't  any 
We  have  no 
We  haven't  any 


Form  two  teams  and  try  to  help  your  side  win.  You 
may  carry  on  the  drive  as  you  did  in  the  third  grade, 
or  you  may  plan  a  new  way. 

If  your  class  does  not  need  this  drive,  with  the  help 
of  your  teacher  choose  some  mistake  that  many  of  you 
make,  and  plan  a  drive  to  overcome  it. 


28.   A   LANGUAGE    GAME 
Trades  and  Tools 


The  class  may  think  of  as  many  tools  as  possible. 
Remember  that  people  who  write  and  sew  and  cook 
use  tools  as  well  as  carpenters  and  masons. 


158  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Write  on  the  blackboard  the  names  of  the  tools. 
Each  child  may  choose  one  and  write  it  on  a  small 
piece  of  paper. 

The  first  pupil  acts  as  if  using  the  tool  he  chose,  and 
the  leader  tries  to  guess  what  tool  it  is.  He  may  say, 
for  instance,  "Have  you  a  needle?"  If  this  is  a  good 
guess,  the  one  questioned  replies,  "Yes,  I  am  a  dress- 
maker." The  leader  takes  the  slip  and  tries  to  guess 
what  the  next  child  has. 

If  it  was  not  a  good  guess,  the  child  questioned  an- 
swers, "No,  I  haven't  any  needle.  I  am  not  a  dress- 
maker." This  child  then  takes  the  place  of  the  leader 
and  tries  to  guess  what  the  second  child  has. 

Notice  that  whenever  a  wrong  guess  is  made,  two 
sentences  must  be  given  in  answering.  The  first  denies 
having  the  tool  named,  and  the  second  denies  belonging 
to  the  trade  using  the  tool. 

Play  the  game  rapidly.  If  any  one  uses  a  wrong 
expression  in  answering,  a  forfeit  must  be  paid.  What 
would  make  a  good  forfeit? 

29.    CONTRACTIONS 

For  what  two  words  does  hasn't  stand?  Which 
letter  of  not  is  omitted  in  the  short  form  ?  Notice  the 
mark  that  takes  the  place  of  0.  It  is  called  an  apos- 
trophe. It  is  as  much  a  mistake  to  omit  the  apostrophe 
as  it  would  be  to  omit  a  letter.  In  writing  an  apos- 
trophe, make  a  short,  straight  mark  as  in  hasn't. 


Study  of  a  Story  159 

A  short  form  made  in  this  way  is  called  a  contraction. 
Pronounce  contraction  and  apostrophe  several  times  very 
clearly. 

Write  the  contractions  of  have  not,  do  not,  does  not, 
did  not,  would  not,  coidd  not,  has  not.  They  are  all 
fornied  alike.  The  contraction  of  ca^mo/ is  ca^j'/ ;  how 
many  letters  were  omitted?  The  contraction  of  will 
not  is  not  rriade  in  the  same  way  ;  it  is  wonH. 

Mary  said,  "I'll  tr>^,  mother."  For  what  two  words 
does  ril  stand?  Write  the  contractions  of  you  willy 
he  will,  they  will,  she  will,  we  will.  What  letters  are 
omitted  ? 

Contractions  are  used  more  often  in  speaking  than 
in  writing.  They  are  sometimes  used  in  writing 
familiar  letters  or  in  writing  conversation.  If  you 
notice  them  when  you  find  them  in  stories,  and  think 
how  they  are  formed,  you  will  soon  be  able  to  write 
them  when  you  need  to  do  so. 

A  contraction  is  a  short  form  made  by  omitting  one 
or  more  letters. 

An  apostrophe  is  used  in  a  contraction  to  take  the  place 
of  the  letter  or  letters  omitted. 

30.   STUDY   OF  A   STORY 

Rbodopis  and  Her  Beautiful  Slippers 

Once  upon  a  time,  while  Rhodopis  was  wading  in  the 
river,  she  put  her  little  red  slippers  on  the  bank.  High 
up  in  the  sky,  an  eagle  saw  them.  He  swept  down,  seized 
them  in  his  beak,  and  flew  away. 


i6o  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Rhodopis  sank  down  upon  the  river  bank  and  shed 
bitter  tears.  The  red  sUppers  were  the  gift  of  her  fairy 
godmother,  and  they  were  the  only  beautiful  things  she 
had.  Her  dress  was  in  tatters,  and  her  cloak  was  faded 
and  worn.  *'My  beautiful  shppers  are  lost,"  she  cried. 
''What  shall  I  do  without  them?" 

"You  shall  have  your  shppers  again,  and  something 
else  besides,"  said  her  godmother,  who  suddenly  appeared. 
"  Do  as  I  say,  and  all  will  be  well.  Go  at  once  to  the 
palace."     So  Rhodopis  pattered  off  in  her  httle  bare  feet. 

All  this  time  the  eagle  was  flying  to  the  palace,  where 
the  king  and  queen  were  sitting  upon  their  thrones.  He 
flew  into  the  great  hall  and  quietly  laid  the  shppers  in  the 
queen's  lap. 

The  lords  and  ladies-in-waiting  were  astonished  when 
they  saw  the  eagle.  Some  said  "Oh!"  and  some  said 
"Ah!"  and  some  said  "How  strange!" 

But  the  king  and  queen  thought  only  of  the  dainty  Httle 
shppers.  You  must  know  that  they  had  two  fine  sons, 
but  no  daughter.  Often  and  often  they  had  wished  that 
there  were  a  httle  princess  running  merrily  about  the 
palace.  And  now  they  talked  to  each  other  in  low  tones 
and  looked  very  happy ! 

A  moment  later  the  king  cried  to  a  herald,  "  You  are 
commanded  to  find  the  owner  of  the  shppers.  She  shall 
be  our  daughter  —  a  royal  princess." 

The  herald  thought  that  such  beautiful  slippers  must 
belong  to  some  very  rich  person ;  so  he  took  them  to  one 
court  lady  after  another.  Not  one  of  them  could  so 
much  as  crowd  her  toes  into  the  slippers. 

Just  as  the  herald  was  setting  out  to  search  among  the 
rich  maidens  of  the  city,  Rhodopis  reached  the  palace.  She 
stood  at  the  door,  trembhng  with  fear,  but  her  cheeks  were 
as  red  as  roses. 


Study  of  a  Story  i6i 

"Come  in,  Rosy-Cheeked  One,"  said  the  king,  kindly. 
"What  is  your  name?" 

"Rhodopis,"  answered  the  girl,  as  she  timidly  advanced 
into  the  hall. 

"And  what  can  we  do  for  you,  Rhodopis  ?  "  asked  the  king. 

"O  king,"  she  sobbed,  "I  have  lost  my  beautiful  sKppers, 
and  I  am  looking  for  them." 

"You  are  welcome,  Rhodopis,"  exclaimed  the  king. 
"We  have  Ijeen  searching  for  you." 

Descending  from  the  throne,  he  led  Rhodopis  to  a  seat. 
Then  he  took  the  slippers  from  the  herald  and  with  his 
own  hands  put  them  on  the  girl's  tiny  feet. 

At  that  instant  the  fairy  godmother  appeared  and  touched 
Rhodopis  with  her  wand.  Her  ragged  dress  changed  into 
a  robe  of  cloth-of-gold,  and  a  tiny  golden  crown  sparkled 
on  her  flowing  curls. 

Amid  great  rejoicing  the  king  led  Rhodopis  to  the  queen, 
who  was  waiting  to  welcome  her.  And  this  is  how  Rhodopis 
found  her  slippers  and  became  a  princess  at  the  same  time. 

Read  the  story  aloud.  Try  to  use  your  voices  just 
as  the  persons  in  the  story  must  have  used  theirs. 

What  happened  as  Rhodopis  was  wading  in  the 
river?  W^o  tried  to  comfort  her,  and  how?  Tell  in 
a  short  story  what  happened  at  the  palace  when  the 
eagle  arrived.  What  happened  after  Rhodopis  ap- 
peared?    Tell  the  end  of  the  story. 

Getting  Ready  to  Play  the  Story 

Plan  how  many  players  are  needed,  where  each 
scene  shall  take  place,  and  how  the  throne  room  shall 
be  arranged. 


1 62  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Show  how  the  eagle  seized  the  slippers  and  flew  away 
with  them.  How  did  Rhodopis  say,  "My  beautiful 
slippers  are  lost !"? 

Several  children  may  tell  how  the  lords  and  ladies 
said  "  Oh  ! "  and  "  Ah  ! "  and  "  How  strange ! "  Notice 
the  exclamation  marks  after  these  words.  They  tell 
you  how  to  use  your  voice. 

Show  how  Rhodopis  spoke  timidly  to  the  king. 
Several  may  show  how  they  think  the  king  would  kneel 
and  put  the  slippers  on  the  girl's  feet.  Plan  for  the 
scene  of  rejoicing  at  the  last. 

Writing  a  Note 

Each  of  you  may  write  a  short  note  to  your  teacher, 
telling  her  which  of  the  players  you  would  prefer  to  be. 
Do  not  forget  any  of  them  when  making  up  your  mind, 
and  be  sure  to  give  the  reason  for  your  choice.  This 
will  help  your  teacher  choose  the  players,  although  it 
may  not  be  possible  for  her  to  give  each  of  you  the  part 
you  chose. 

31.   PLAYING   THE   STORY 

After  one  set  of  children  appointed  by  the  teacher 
has  played  the  story,  another  set  of  players  may 
volunteer.  Those  in  the  second  set  should  try  to 
improve  on  the  first  set  of  players. 

Should  you  like  to  play  the  story  again  in  a  few  days 
and  invite  some  one  to  visit  you?  Write  a  note  of 
invitation  in  your  next  study  period,  and  send  one  of 
the  best  notes  by  messenger. 


Describing  J ack-o'  -Lanterns 


163 


32.   CONVERSATION   LESSON 

Hallowe'en  Fun 

What  merry  time  have  you  had  on  Hallowe'en? 
Did  you  use  jack-o'-lanterns?  Talk  over  interesting 
Hallowe'en  tricks  and  sports,  the  ones  that  make  fun 
and  at  the  same  time  harm  no  one. 

At  the 'last,  one  pupil. may  dictate  directions  for 
making  a  jack-o'-lantern,  giving  the  steps  in  their 
proper  order.  The  others  may  pretend  that  they  have 
pumpkins  and  knives  and  act  as  if  they  were  really 
making  the  lanterns.  If  any  direction  is  not  perfectly 
clear,  ask  questions. 

33.  DESCRIBING   JACK-O'-LANTERNS 

Here  is  a  group  of  jack-o'-lanterns  to  get  acquainted 
with.  Which  one  would  you  choose  if  you  wished 
a  jolly  companion?  Which  Jack  has  forgotten  that 
he  was  once  a  boy?  Which  Jack  is  very  much 
astonished  at  Hallowe'en  tricks? 


164         ,       Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Which  one  might  you  name  Jack  Goodfellow?  Try- 
to  think  of  good  names  for  the  others.  Think  of  as 
many  words  as  possible  that  describe  any  of  the  jack- 
o'-lanterns.     At  the  last  describe  one  fully. 

34.  DICTATION   LESSON 

Study  the  following  note  carefully.  Copy  it  as  seat 
work.  You  will  write  it  from  dictation  in  your  next 
lesson.  Be  ready  to  give  the  reason  for  every  capital 
and  punctuation  mark. 

Dear  Harry, 

Yesterday  I  made  a  jack-o'-lantern.  He  looked  very 
kind  and  jolly.  I  named  him  Mr.  Merryman.  Next 
Wednesday  evening  we  are  going  to  have  some  fun  to- 
gether. Will  you  make  a  Mrs.  Merrywoman  lantern  and 
go  with  us  ?     Somebody  is  going  to  have  a  surprise ! 

Your  friend, 

Pete 

35.  STUDY   OF  A   STORY 

Falling  Leaves 

It  was  a  chill,  damp  evening  in  October.  All  day  the 
leaves  had  been  falling  from  the  old  beech  tree,  and  now 
only  two  were  left.     Near  them  hung  a  soHtary  nut. 

"I'm  nearly  dead,"  said  one  leaf  to  the  other.  "I  am 
growing  faint,  and  shall  fall  soon." 

"What  will  happen  to  us  when  we  fall?"  asked  the 
second  leaf.  "Some  of  our  companions  went  dancing 
away,  but  most  of  them  seemed  to  sink  into  the  earth. 
Shall  we  be  buried,  too?" 


Study  of  a  Story  165 

*'I  don't  know,"  answered  the  first  leaf.  "Ask  the 
beechnut.     She  too  seems  ready  to  fall." 

"Yes,  but  I  fall  when  I  am  ripe,  and  you  fall  when  you 
are  dead,"  said  the  beechnut  sharply.  "When  I  fall,  I 
shall  go  to  sleep  for  a  while,  but  before  long  I  shall  be 
sending  out  a  root  and  a  shoot  of  my  own.  Some  day  I 
shall  be  a  fine  tree  and  bear  thousands  of  leaves  like 
you." 

"And  we — what  shall  we  do?" 

"Oh,  nothing!"  rephed  the  beechnut  rudely,  as  she 
fell  to  the  ground.     "You'll  be  dead." 

"Dead!  Dead!"  murmured  the  leaves  sadly  to  each 
other,  as  the  tears  began  to  fall  from  their  tips. 

Just  then  a  cheery  little  breeze  came  along.  "Do  not 
cry!"  she  whispered.  "Without  your  help  the  beechnut 
will  never  have  a  root  or  a  shoot.  Fall  gently  to  the  ground 
and  make  it  rich  and  warm." 

"Oh,  brother,"  said  one  leaf  joyfully  to  the  other,  "the 
beechnut  needs  us!  The  beechnut  needs  us!"  And 
without  a  sound  he  floated  gently  to  the  ground  and 
nestled  close  to  the  fallen  nut. 

"I  am  coming,  too,"  cried  the  second  leaf.  An  instant 
later  he  was  lying  beside  his  brother  and  the  beechnut. 

The  next  spring  a  Httle  beech  tree  raised  its  first  two 
leaves  in  that  very  spot.  "I  should  never  have  grown  so 
strong  without  the  dead  beech  leaves,"  he  said,  as  he 
smiled  up  at  the  sun. 

Can  you  see  the  pictures  clearly  as  you  read  the 
story  ?  How  does  the  sky  look  in  your  picture  ?  How- 
many  leaves  are  on  the  beech  tree?  What  are  they 
wondering  about?  Tell  what  happened  when  they 
asked  the  beechnut  what  would  become  of  them.     How 


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were  they  finally  comforted  ?  What  happened  the  fol- 
lowing spring? 

How  would  a  leaf  float  to  the  ground?  What  do 
these  words  mean :  cheery,  shoot,  rudely,  nestled, 
solitary?    Use  each  in  a  sentence. 

Read  the  story,  and  let  your  voices  show  how  the 
leaves,  the  beechnut,  and  the  breeze  felt  as  they  spoke. 
The  exclamation  marks  will  help  you  in  some  places. 
What  feeling  is  shown  in  each  case  ? 

Explain  all  contractions  used  in  the  story. 

36.   A   CONVERSATION   LESSON 

The  Uses  of  Leaves 

Discuss  in  class  the  uses  of  leaves  before  and  after 
they  fall.  Each  pupil  should  help.  If  you  think  you 
have  nothing  to  tell,  ask  questions. 

If  there  are  trees  near  your  schoolhouse,  see  how 
much  you  can  learn  about  them  by  using  your  eyes. 
Notice  what  happens  to  the  dead  leaves,  what  kind 
of  buds  the  trees  have,  and  how  their  branches 
grow. 

If  you  live  where  it  is  warm  in  winter,  try  to  find  out 
if  the  trees  which  seem  to  keep  their  leaves  all  the 
winter  really  do  so. 

Whenever  you  have  learned  something  new,  report 
it  to  your  classmates. 

Review  the  story  that  tells  why  the  evergreens  keep 
their  leaves  in  winter.     See  page  112. 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  167 

37.   WRITING    "  CORRECT   USE  "    SENTENCES 

Last  year  you  learned  to  use  correctly  the  following 
words :  is  and  are ;  was  and  were ;  did  and  done ;  saw 
and  seen;  run  and  ran;  came  and  come;  went  and 
gone;  teach  and  learn;  isn't  and  am  not.  Which  of 
these  words  never  trouble  you  now? 

Give  oral  sentences  using  correctly  is,  are,  was,  were, 
teach,  learn,  isn't,  am  not. 

Half  the  class  may  then  write  a  sentence  for  each 
of  the  other  words  which  do  not  need  helping  words  hke 
has  arid  have.  The  rest  may  write  a  sentence  for  each 
word  that  needs  a  helping  word. 

Read  the  sentences.  Raise  hands  at  once  if  a  mis- 
take is  made,  and  correct  it. 

38.   DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  Give,  Gave,  and  Given 

Children  all  over  the  country  sometimes  say  give  when 
they  should  say  gave,  and  gave  when  they  should  say 
given.  Look  at  the  picture  on  the  next  page.  Which  of 
these  words  is  working  alone  ?    Which  word  has  helpers  ? 

The  words  are  used  correctly  in  the  following  sen- 
tences : 

1 .  Will  you  please  give  me  an  apple  ? 

2.  Yes,  I  will  gladly  give  you  one. 

3.  To  whom  did  you  give  your  ball? 

4.  I  gave  it  to  my  brother. 

5.  Mother  gave  me  a  nickel. 

6.  Who  gave  you  your  watch  ? 


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Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 


7.  Santa  Claus  gave  it  to  me. 

8.  He  gave  father  an  overcoat. 

9.  He  gave  the  baby  a  rattle. 

10.  I  have  given  away  my  knife. 

1 1 .  Mother  has  given  me  a  doll. 

12.  What  have  you  given  to  her  ? 


I  gave 

I  have  given 

We  gave 

We  have  given 


You  gave 
You  have  given 
He  gave 
He  has  given 


They  gave 
They  have  given 
It  gave 
It  has  given 


Use  for  a  few  days  these  sentences  and  groups  of 
words  in  your  three-minute  drills. 


Study  of  Two  Poems  169 

Read  also  oiice  each  day  the  sentences  in  one  of  last 
year's  drills  that  you  need  to  review. 


39.    COPYING    SENTENCES 

Copy  the  following  sentences,  using  give,  gave,  or 
given  wherever  there  is  a  blank. 

1 .  What  did  spring the  trees  ? 

2.  Spring  — i-  the  trees  green  leaves. 

3.  Summer  — —  them  beautiful  blossoms. 

4.  'Autumn  has them  delicious  fruit. 

5.  What  will  winter them? 

6.  The  flowers honey  to  the  bees. 

7.  The  bees  have their  honey  to  us. 

8.  What  have  we the  bees  ? 

9.  Father me  a  new  baseball. 

10.  He Frank  one,  too. 


40.   STUDY    OF   TWO    POEMS 
The  Difference 

Yesterday  in  the  afternoon 

I  found  out  walking  the  great  big  moon, 

Looking  as  pale  as  he  could  be ; 

And  wherever  I  went  he  followed  me. 

What  was  he  doing  away  up  there 
When  there  wasn't  a  bit  of  dark  in  the  air? 
He  acted  as  frightened  as  he  could  be, 
And  seemed  very  glad  to  stick  close  to  me. 


170  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

But  when  it  was  dark  and  I  went  to  bed, 
He  laughed  at  me  till  his  face  grew  red. 
He  thinks  I'm  afraid  in  the  dark,  you  see ; 
But  I'm  much  more  brave  in  the  hght  than  he. 

VIRGINIA   WOODS   MACKALL 

Listen  carefully  while  your  teacher  reads  the  poem 
to  you.  Who  is  speaking  in  the  poem?  Did  you  ever 
see  the  moon  in  broad  daylight  ?     How  did  he  look  ? 

In  the  poem  of  "Hiawatha"  the  moon  is  called  the 
Night-sun.  How  many  signs  of  being  timid  did  the 
Night-sun  give?  How  did  the  Night-sun  change  at 
night  ?     What  do  you  think  gave  him  courage  then  ? 

Read  the  poem  and  try  to  bring  out  the  meaning  as 
your  teacher  did  when  she  read  it  to  you. 

Here  is  another  poem  about  the  moon  shining  in 
daylight : 

Daylight  and  Moonlight 

In  broad  daylight,  and  at  noon, 
Yesterday  I  saw  the  moon 
Sailing  high,  but  faint  and  white, 
As  a  schoolboy's  paper  kite. 

HENRY   W.    LONGFELLOW 

Do  you  like  the  picture  in  this  little  poem?  What 
besides  a  paper  kite  might  you  imagine  the  daylight 
moon  to  be  ? 

Commit  one  or  both  of  these  poems  to  memory. 
Whenever  you  see  the  moon  shining  in  the  daytime, 
you  will  think  of  them  and  enjoy  them. 


Study  of  a  Picture 


41.   SPELLING   REVIEW 


171 


Review  the  following  words.  You  have  probably 
had  all  of  them  in  your  spelling  or  language  lessons. 
Use  each  group  of  words  in  an  oral  sentence. 


beautiful 

doesn't 

their  hats 

minute 

isn't 

here  is 

February 

I'U 

two  dollars 

thought 

across 

there  are 

always 

losing 

can't  write 

answer 

afraid 

through  the  air 

since 

which 

hear  music 

tonight 

cousin 

ate  an  apple 

enough 

could 

too  lazy 

won't 

aunt 

threw  the  ball 

Review  also  last  year's  spelling  lists.  Who  will  find 
them  and  write  on  the  blackboard  the  numbers  of  the 
pages  on  which  they  occur  ?  Be  very  sure  that  not  one 
is  overlooked. 

Dictionary  Lesson — ^Seat  Work 

Arrange  the  words  in  the  first  two  columns  in  the 
order  of  their  first  letters. 


42.   STUDY   OF  A   PICTURE 

A  Pilgrim  School 

The  picture  on  page  173  shows  a  Pilgrim  private 
school.  The  children  sat  on  their  hard  wooden 
benches  mumbling  their  lessons,  while  the  teacher's 


172  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

spinning  wheel  hummed  a  merry  accompaniment. 
See  how  much  you  can  find  out  about  the  school  from 
the  picture.  Describe  the  books  used,  the  furniture, 
the  punishments,  the  clothing. 

Should  you  like  to  play  "A  Pilgrim  School"?  You 
will  find  it  very  interesting. 

Decide  how  many  pupils  there  will  be.  What  can 
you  use  for  skeins  of  yarn?  What  naughty  things 
might  a  pupil  do?  The  Pilgrim  teacher  thought 
whispering  was  very,  very  naughty.  Almost  as 
naughty  was  misspelling  a  word.  Do  you  think  which 
troubled  them? 

Choose  for  the  teacher  and  pupils  children  who  like 
to  play  school.     Make  this  a  play  for  genuine  fun. 

A  second  set  of  children  may  play  if  there  is  time. 

43.   WRITING   STORIES 

Imagine  that  you  are  a  Pilgrim  boy  or  girl,  and  write 
a  story  about  your  school,  the  first  Thanksgiving,  the 
games  you  play,  or  your  manner  of  dressing. 

Select  a  good  title,  and  start  at  once  on  the  interesting 
part  of  your  story.  Ask  your  teacher  how  to  spell  any 
words  you  do  not  know. 

Write  plainly,  and  remember  indention,  margins, 
capitals,  punctuation  marks,  and  spelling.  Do  not 
forget  the  date. 

These  compositions  would  make  an  interesting  book. 
Will  some  one  make  a  suitable  cover  for  it  ?  What 
should  you  like  to  have  on  the  cover  ? 


Writing  Stones 


173 


174  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

44.   CONVERSATION   LESSON 
The  "  Thank- You  Day  " 

Thanksgiving  Day  has  been  called  the  "Thank-you- 
Day."  What  have  you  to  be  thankful  for?  Talk  it 
over  in  class. 

Are  you  thankful  that  you  live  in  a  great,  free 
country?  On  pages  125  and  126  you  will  find 
"  America."     Learn  all  the  stanzas  and  sing  them  often. 

45.   DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  or  Grew,  Blew,   Threw,  and  Knew 

Here  are  four  words  that  rhyme :  grow,  blow,  throw, 
and  know.  Sometimes  children  use  the  forms  growed, 
Mowed,  throwed,  and  knowed.     There  are  no  such  words  ! 

The  correct  forms  are  grew,  blew,  threw,  and  knew. 
With  has,  have,  and  other  helping  words,  we  use  the 
forms  grown,  blown,  thrown,  and  known. 

1.  I  threw  the  ball  over  the  fence. 

2.  The  wind  blew  fiercely. 

3.  Ned  knew  all  his  lessons. 

4.  The  plants  grew  rapidly. 

5.  Who  threw  the  snowball  ? 

6.  May  grew  faster  than  Jennie. 

7.  The  Puritans  knew  how  to  spin. 

8.  We  blew  soap  bubbles  all  the  morning. 

I  knew  my  lesson.  The  wind  blew. 

I  have  known  my  lesson.  The  wind  has  blown. 

The  plants  grew.  Ben  threw  the  ball. 

The  plants  have  grown.  Ben  has  thrown  the  ball. 


A  Language  Game  175 

Use  for  a  few  days  the  above  sentences  in  your  daily 
drills.  Select  also  a  review  drill  and  read  the  sentences 
once  each  day. 

46.   A   LANGUAGE    GAME 
Asking  and  Answering  Questions 

Before  you  come  to  class,  each  pupil  may  write 
four  questions.  The  answer  to  each  question  should 
require  the  use  of  one  of  the  following  words :  grew, 
blew,  threw,  knew.  These  questions  might  be  written, 
for  instance  : 

1.  What  did  the  orange  tree  do? 

2.  What  did  the  monkey  do  with  his  cap? 

3.  What  did  the  wind  do  to  the  dry  leaves? 

4.  Did  you  know  your  lesson  ? 

Form  two  lines  as  for  a  spelling  match.  The  first 
pupil  on  one  side  reads  a  question.  The  first  pupil 
on  the  opposite  side  answers  it  promptly,  using  one 
of  the  four  words  above.  If  the  answer  is  correct, 
this  pupil  then  reads  a  question.  The  second  pupil 
on  the  first  side  answers  it,  and  so  the  game  goes  on. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  the  four  words  blew,  grew, 
knew,  and  threw  on  the  blackboard  where  all  can  see 
them.     Play  the  game  rapidly. 

Pupils  who  make  a  mistake  should  drop  out  of  the 
game.  At  the  last  they  must  pay  a  forfeit.  WTiat  will 
make  a  good  forfeit  for  this  particular  game  ? 


176  Self -11  dp  English  Lessons 

47.    GETTING   READY   FOR   CHRISTMAS 

Christmas  follows  Thanksgiving  so  closely  that  it 
is  none  too  soon  to  begin  to  get  ready  for  the 
holiday. 

Do  one  or  two  of  these  things : 

1.  Make  a  picture  book  as  you  did  last  year  to  send 
to  some  one  else. 

2.  Make  a  storybook  for  your  class  library,  telling 
how  Christmas  is  celebrated  in  other  countries. 

3.  Plan  a  program  for  Christmas  exercises  and  write 
invitations  to  your  parents  and  friends. 

After  deciding  w^hat  you  will  do,  discuss  the  plans 
thoroughly  in  class.  Use  several  language  periods 
for  carrying  them  out. 

48.    STUDYING   A   CHRISTMAS   NOTE 

Is  it  not  about  time  to  write  to  Santa  Claus?  In 
your  next  lesson  you  may  write  notes  to  him,  telling 
him  what  you  would  like  to  have  him  bring  you.  Did 
you  know  that  Santa  Claus  likes  boys  and  girls  who 
think  of  others  as  well  as  themselves  ? 

Here  is  a  boy's  note  to  study  today : 

Dear  Santa  Claus, 

I  hope  your  reindeer  are  very  strong,  because  I  want  so 
many  things.  Will  you  please  bring  me  a  train  of  cars, 
"The  King  of  the  Golden  River,"  a  pair  of  roller  skates, 
and  a  woolly  bear  to  take  to  bed?  And  please  ask  Mrs. 
Santa  Claus  to  make  a  sweater  for  mother.     She  wants 


Studying  a  Christmas  Note  177 

one  very  much.     Who  will  fill  your  stocking?     I  wish  I 
could.     A  Merry  Christmas  ! 

Your  true  friend, 

James  B.  Pelton 

How  many  things  did  James  ask  Santa  Claus  to 
bring  for  him  ?  Notice  how  the  things  he  asks  for  are 
set  off  from  each  other  by  commas.  Read  the  sentence 
and  see  if  your  voice  also  sets  them  off  from  each  other  . 

Whenever  we  write  a  list  of  things,  we  follow  each 
by  a  comma  because  this  makes  the  sentence  easier  to 
read,  just  as  the  voice  makes  it  easier  for  the  hearer 
when  the  sentence  is  spoken.  If  you  ask  Santa  Claus 
for  several  things,  remember  the  commas. 

Notice  how  Merry  Christmas  is  written.  Do  these 
words  tell  or  ask  anything  ?  Do  they  form  a  sentence  ? 
Expressions  like  "A  Merry  Christmas  ! "  and  "A  Happy 
New  Year!"  really  mean  "I  wish  you  a  Merry 
Christmas"  and  "I  wish  you  a  Happy  New  Year." 
What  feeling  do  these  expressions  show? 

Notice  the  marks  before  and  after  the  title  of  the 
book  asked  for.  These  marks  are  always  used  in 
writing  the  title  of  a  book  in  a  sentence.  Make  them 
in  this  way  when  you  write :  "  " .  Have  you  often 
noticed  these  marks  in  books?  They  have  another 
very  common  use  which  you  will  learn  later. 

Writing  Notes  to  Santa  Claus 

Write  a  note  to  Santa  Claus.  Study  the  model  care- 
fully and  get  all  the  help  you  can  from  it. 


178  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Here  are  the  titles  of  some  good  books  for  boys  and 
girls.  You  may  wish  to  ask  Santa  Claus  for  one  or 
more  of  them.  You  will  find  other  lists  on  pages  124 
and  252. 

Fairy  Tales.     Hans  Christian  Andersen. 
In  the  Days  of  Giants.     Ahhie  Farwell  Brown. 
Santa  Claus  on  a  Lark.     Washington  Gladden. 
The  Christmas  Porringer.     Evaleen  Stein. 
Tommy  Trot's  Visit  to  Santa  Claus.     Thomas  Nelson 
Page. 

49.   AFTER-CHRISTMAS   STORIES 

Christmas  is  a  time  when  hearts  feel  warm.  TeU 
the  story  of  some  very  kind  Christmas  act  you  have 
done  or  have  heard  about.  These  will  be  true  hero 
stories  even  if  they  do  not  tell  about  great  things. 

50.   DESCRIBING   TWO    CHRISTMAS   TREES 

The  Little  Fir  Tree 

A  little  fir  grew  in  the  midst  of  the  wood, 

Oh,  there  in  his  evergreen  dress  he  stood ; 

His  branches  were  sweet  with  the  balsam  smell. 

His  needles  were  green  where  the  white  snow  fell, 

And  always  contented  and  happy  was  he,  — 

The  very  best  kind  of  a  Christmas  tree. 

HENRY    VAN    DYKE 

Describe  the  picture  tree.  What  do  you  like  about 
the  word-picture  tree?  Learn  the  little  poem  when 
you  have  read  it  and  studied  it. 


Describing  Two  Christmas  Trees  179 


i8o  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

51.   WRITING    "  THANK-YOU  LETTERS  " 

Write  a  note  thanking  some  person  for  a  Christmas 
book.  Read  the  following  note.  Explain  all  the 
marks  used,  and  then  write  yours. 

Dear  Grandmother, 

I  can't  thank  you  enough  for  "Alice  in  Wonderland." 
I  have  read  it  through  twice  since  Christmas.  Ned, 
Mary,  and  Alice  have  read  it,  too.  We  all  think  it  is  the 
best  book  that  was  ever  written. 

Your  loving  grandchild, 

Bess 

52.   A   LANGUAGE   GAME 

The  Birthday  Party 

Each  child  will  write  on  a  slip  of  paper  the  name  of 
something  good  for  the  birthday  feast.  The  leader 
collects  the  slips  of  paper,  and  the  game  is  then  played 
in  two  parts. 

The  leader  takes  one  of  the  slips  of  paper,  notices 
what  is  written  on  it,  and  asks,  "Who  brought  the  ice 
cream?"  The  child  who  brought  it  immediately 
replies,  "I  brought  the  ice  cream."  If  several  brought 
the  same  thing,  all  will  answer. 

When  all  have  told  what  they  brought,  the  slips  are 
mixed  up,  and  the  leader  gives  one  to  each  pupil  for 
his  share  of  the  feast.  Each  pupil  then  states  that  he 
ate  what  was  given  to  him,  and  that  he  ate  it  all.  He 
says,  for  instance,  "I  ate  an  orange.  I  have  eaten  it 
aU." 


Conversation  Lesson  -     i8i 

Play  the  game  rapidly.  Any  child  who  uses  an 
incorrect  word  instead  of  ate,  eaten,  or  brought  must  pay 
a  suitable  forfeit. 

CopYLNG  Lesson 

Copy  as  seat  work  the  following  sentences,  using  ate, 
eaten,  or  brought  wherever  there  is  a  blank.  Use  a  form 
of  the  word  ^written  at  the  left  of  the  sentence. 

1 .  bring  What  have  you me  ? 

2.  bring  I  have you  some  candy. 

3.  eat  Have  you ■  your  peanuts  ? 

4.  eat  Yes,  I  have  — ■ —  them  all. 

5.  eat  I them  yesterday. 

6.  eat  Who the  chestnuts  ? 

7.  eat  Jack them. 

8.  bring  His  father them  to  him. 

9.  eat  Have  you  ever fresh  figs  ? 

10.  eat        Yes,  I some  once. 

1 1 .  bring     Uncle  Jack  — —  them  from  California. 

53.   CONVERSATION   LESSON 
Thrift 

A  common  way  of  helping  at  home  is  by  doing  a  share 
of  the  work.  Today  you  will  discuss  other  ways.  The 
following  questions  will  give  you  hints,  but  you  need 
not  hold  to  these.  They  will  bring  other  things  to 
your  mind.     What  does  thrift  mean? 

What  things  besides  food  do  your  parents  buy  for 
you?     Do  you  know  how  much  any  of  these  things 


1 82  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

cost?  Which  wear  out  rather  quickly?  Does  it  make 
any  difference  how  fast  they  wear  out?  How  does 
taking  care  of  these  things  help  at  home  ? 

\Vliat  can  you  do  to  make  the  following  things  last 
as  long  as  possible :  shoes,  dresses,  jackets,  mittens, 
gloves,  carpets,  books,  hats?  What  other  things  in  the 
home  need  care  to  make  them  last  longer  ? 

In  what  ways  can  you  take  care  of  the  school 
property?  Does  the  school  property  belong  to  you? 
Does  thrift  matter  at  school? 

54.   CONVERSATION   LESSON 
Another  Form  of  Thrift 

Here  are  two  pictures  showing  the  same  back  yard. 
The  first  is  called  ^'Before.''     Before  what? 

Which  picture  do  you  like  the  better  ?  What  do  you 
think  the  boy  is  saying  to  himself  in  the  first  picture? 
What  is  he  thinking  in  the  second  picture  ? 

His  next  plan  is  to  use  a  patch  of  land  now  covered 
with  weeds.  Tell  how  he  might  lay  out  a  garden,  and 
what  vegetables  he  might  raise  if  he  lived  in  your  part 
of  the  country. 

If  he  makes  a  profit  of  five  dollars  on  his  garden, 
how  might  he  use  the  money  ?  What  would  a  thrifty 
boy  do  with  it?  What  things  might  be  bought  by  a 
boy  who  had  not  learned  the  lesson  of  thrift  ? 

What  would  you  do  with  five  dollars  if  you  wished 
to  have  it  to  use  in  the  future? 


Daily  Drill  Exercises 


183 


^^^ 


Before 


After 


55.   DAILY  DRILL   EXERCISES 

Correct  Use  of  Rang  and  Rung 

Rang  and  rung  are  used  correctly  in  the  following 
sentences.  Which  of  the  words  needs  helping  words 
like  has  and  have?  Was  and  were  may  also  be  used 
as  helpers. 


Who  rang  the  bell  ? 
I  have  rung  it  twice. 


184  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Sang  AND  Sung 

These  words  rhyme  with  rang  and  rung,  and  they 

are  used  in  the  same  way.     Which  needs  a  helping 

word  ? 

We  all  sang  "America." 

Mother  has  sung  the  baby  to  sleep. 

Do  you  remember  playing  "Birthday  Party"? 
Sometimes  children  think  that  bring  has  forms  that 
rhyme  with  rang  and  rung.  Remember  that  we  say, 
"/  bring,  I  brought,  I  have  br ought. ^^     Review  the  game. 

If  your  class  makes  mistakes  in  using  these  words, 
make  as  team  work  a  list  of  sentences  using  them 
correctly.  Keep  these  sentences  in  your  language 
books,  and  use  them  for  a  few  days  in  your  three- 
minute  drills. 

Read  also  once  each  day  the  sentences  of  one  of  the 
review  drills. 

For  the  next  three  lessons  you  will  give  all  your 
language  periods  to  writing  letters.  People  do  not 
write  as  much  as  they  talk,  but  it  takes  a  good  deal  of 
practice  to  get  the  form  of  a  letter  exactly  right,  to  make 
the  letter  interesting,  to  express  it  in  clear  sentences 
without  too  many  and^s,  and  to  spell  all  the  words  cor- 
rectly. 

During  these  letter-writing  days,  your  teacher  may 
be  able  to  give  special  attention  to  your  oral  language 
in  other  lessons.  Perhaps  she  will  ask  questions  that 
require  for  their  answers  short  paragraphs.     Ask  her 


Letter  Writing  185 

to  tell  you  if  your  language  in  all  lessons  is  improving. 
Remember  that  you  have  language  lessons  only  to  help 
you  speak  and  write  correctly  at  other  times. 

56.   LETTER   WRITING 

So  far  you  have  been  writing  notes,  and  probably  you 
can  now  arrange  all  the  parts  properly  and  punctuate 
them  correctly.  Prove  it  by  going  to  the  blackboard 
and  quickly  writing  a  short  note.  If  you  can  do  this, 
you  are  ready  for  new  lessons  in  letter  writing. 

Read  the  letter  that  follows  : 

24  Bolton  Street 
Cleveland,  Ohio 
January  5,  1922 
Dear  Bessie, 

Many  thanks  for  your  lovely  Christmas  present.  What 
little  bird  told  you  that  I  wanted  "In  the  Days  of  Giants" 
more  than  any  other  book? 

Last  night  we  had  a  terrible  storm.  Rain,  snow,  and 
hail  all  came  down  together.  This  morning  the  streets 
are  covered  with  ice.  I  just  saw  two  children  fall.  Poor 
Uttle  things ! 

Give  my  dearest  love  to  Uncle  John  and  Aunt  Fannie. 
When  are  you  all  coming  to  visit  us  ? 

Lovingly, 
Jennie 

There  are  several  things  to  learn  about  this  letter, 
and  you  will  study  them  one  at  a  time. 

What  part  has  the  letter  that  you  have  not  used  in 
your  notes?     This  part  is  called  the  heading.     Why  is 


1 86  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

that  a  good  name  for  it  ?  Which  part  of  the  heading 
have  you  had  practice  in  writing?  What  does  the 
first  part  of  the  heading  tell  about  the  girl  who  wrote 
the  letter? 

The  place  where  you  live  is  called  your  address. 
Your  address  in  the  heading  tells  the  one  who  will 
answer  your  letter  how  to  address  the  envelope. 

57.   WRITING   ADDRESSES 

Write  the  heading  of  a  letter  just  as  you  would  write 
it  in  a  real  letter.  Will  the  headings  of  your  letters  all 
be  alike  ?  Put  in  all  punctuation  marks  when  you  get  to 
them. 

It  may  be  necessary  to  practice  placing  the  heading, 
because  some  addresses  take  up  more  room  than  others 
do.     Notice  where  the  heading  is  placed  in  the  model. 

If  the  name  of  your  city  or  street  or  state  is  very 
long,  you  may  need  to  use  short  forms  for  the  words 
street,  avenue,  and  the  name  of  the  state.  The  following 
are  all  correct : 

54  Pennsylvania  Ave. 
306  St.  Lawrence  St. 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 

The  only  short  forms  which  it  is  important  for  you  to 
learn  now  are  those  you  yourself  need  to  use  in  writing 
letters.  Remember  that  the  period  after  the  short 
form  is  a  part  of  the  spelling. 

When  your  teacher  tells  you  that  you  have  written 


Another  Lesson  in  Letter  Writing  187 

your  heading  correctly  and  have  placed  it  well,  leaving 
a  margin  at  the  right,  keep  the  paper  for  a  model. 
Write  the  heading  three  times  every  day  for  a  week  as 
seat  work.  By  the  end  of  the  week  you  should  be  able 
to  write  it  accurately  and  without  the  slightest  hesitation. 

58.   ANOTHER   LESSON   IN   LETTER   WRITING 

Look  once  more  at  the  letter  you  are  studying. 
Besides  having  a  heading,  it  is  different  in  another  way 
from  the  notes  you  have  been  writing.  Try  to  discover 
the  difference  before  you  read  any  farther  in  this  lesson. 

You  have  been  writing  stories  and  notes  of  only  one 
paragraph.  Do  you  see  that  a  paragraph  is  something 
like  a  family  ^  The  father,  mother,  and  children  all 
live  in  the  same  house  or  apartment  because  they  are 
so  closely  related.  In  the  same  way  sentences  that 
belong  together  —  that  is,  sentences  that  tell  about 
the  same  thing  —  live  together  in  a  paragraph. 

What  did  Jennie  write  about  in  the  first  paragraph  ? 
What  did  she  write  about  in  the  second  ?  in  the  third  ? 
When  we  write  letters,  we  often  wish  to  tell  our 
friends  about  several  different  things,  and  we  therefore 
use  a  paragraph  for  each.  How  does  indenting  the 
paragraphs  help  the  reader? 

You  will  continue  to  write  compositions  of  one 
paragraph,  and  your  letters  will  have  only  one  para- 
graph if  they  tell  about  but  one  thing.  But  if  in  a 
letter  you  tell  about  entirely  different  things,  as  Jennie 
did,  make  a  separate  paragraph  for  each. 


1 88 


Self-Help  English  Lessons 


Writing  a  Letter 

Today  you  may  write  a  short  letter  telling  first  how 
happy  you  were  to  get  an  invitation  from  the  person 
to  whom  you  are  writing,  and  then  describing  a  snow- 
storm or  an  out-of-doors  frolic  of  some  sort.  How 
many  paragraphs  will  your  letter  contain  ? 

Think  before  you  write  !  Your  letter  will  be  handed 
in  just  as"  you  write  it  the  first  time. 

If  you  receive  interesting  letters  from  friends,  will 
you  sometimes  bring  them  and  read  them  to  the  class  ? 
Bring  also  interesting  letters  that  you  find  in  books 
that  you  read. 


370 


F 


C.-cJUyUf-T/ytXyCC' 


Addressing  the  Envelopes 

When  you  have  written  a  letter,  what  else  must  be 
done  before  it  can  be  sent?  Why  do  you  use  a 
stamp  ? 


Conversation  Lesson  189 

Cut  several  pieces  of  paper  the  size  of  an  ordinary 
envelope.  How  large  will  they  be  ?  Practice  directing 
them  to  friends.  Place  the  address  as  in  the  model  on 
page  188,  Look  at  this  model  whenever  you  address 
an  envelope.  There  will  then  be  not  the  slightest 
excuse  for  making  mistakes  in  arrangement. 

While  you  sometimes  use  the  abbreviation  of  a  state 
in  the  heading  of  a  letter,  never  use  it  on  the  enve- 
lope! Write  the  name  of  the  state  in  full  to  prevent 
mistakes  at  the*  post  office.  The  name  of  the  state  is 
written  on  a  line  by  itself.  This  helps  the  men  in  the 
post  office  to  sort  letters  quickly. 

69.   CONVERSATION   LESSON 
Our  Friends  in  Other  Lands 

Read  the  picture  on  the  next  page  and  discuss  the 
Eskimos'  homes,  clothing,  manner  of  traveling  on  water 
and  on  land,  food,  etc.  Ask  each  other  questions 
about  matters  you  do  not  understand. 

Wben  talking,  do  not  give  merely  a  single  sentence 
unless  that  fully  answers  the  question.  Talk  in  short 
paragraphs  in  which  you  tell  all  that  you  have  to  say 
about  one  feature  of  the  picture. 

Daily  Drill  Exercises 

Review 

With  the  help  of  your  teacher  select  one  of  the  "  drill 
exercises"  you  need  to  review  and  use  it  in  your  daily 


190 


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Study  of  a  Poem  191 

drills  for  a  few  days.     Or,  drill  on  some  other  error 
often  made  in  your  class. 


60.    STUDY   OF   A   POEM 

This  poem  was  written  by  Robert  Louis  Stevenson, 
who  wrote  "Autumn  Fires"  also.  As  a  little  boy  he 
used  to  read  stories  and  then  play  them.  When  he 
grew  to  be  a  man  he  wrote  many  poems,  some  of  which 
tell  of  the  good^times  he  had  "making  believe."  This 
lesson  gives  one  of  these  poems.  Listen  carefully 
while  your  teacher  reads  it  to  you.  Perhaps  you  will 
enjoy  looking  at  the  words  and  listening  at  the  same 
time. 

The  Land  of  Storybooks 

At  evening  when  the  lamp  is  lit, 
Around  the  fire  my  parents  sit ; 
They  sit  at  home  and  talk  and  sing, 
And  do  not  play  at  anything. 

Now,  with  my  little  gun,  I  crawl 
All  in  the  dark  along  the  wall, 
And  follow  round  the  forest  track 
Away  behind  the  sofa  back. 

There,  in  the  night  where  none  can  spy, 
All  in  my  hunter's  camp  I  lie. 
And  play  at  books  that  I  have  read 
Till  it  is  time  to  go  to  bed. 


192  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

These  are  the  hills,  these  are  the  woods, 
These  are  the  starry  sohtudes  ; 
And  there  the  river  by  whose  brink 
The  roaring  hons  come  to  drink. 


I  see  the  others  far  away 
As  if  in  fireht  camp  they  lay, 
And  I,  hke  to  an  Indian  scout. 
Around  their  party  prowled  about. 

So  when  my  nurse  comes  in  for  me, 
Home  I  return  across  the  sea. 
And  go  to  bed  with  backward  looks 
At  my  dear  land  of  storybooks. 

ROBERT   LOUIS   STEVENSON 

Did  you  see  the  pictures  clearly?  A  solitude  is 
a  lonely  place.  What  is  a  starry  solitude?  Who  can 
take  a  pointer  for  a  gun  and  show  just  how  the  little 
boy  crawled  "round  the  forest  track"? 

What  does  a  scout  do?  Two  children  may  be  the 
parents  and  another  may  show  how  the  Indian  scout 
would  prowl  around  them.  Two  children  may  act 
out  the  last  stanza. 

Read  the  poem.  What  do  you  like  about  it?  Read 
it  often.  You  will  see  the  picture  more  and  more 
clearly  each  time. 

Are  you  remembering  to  review  the  poems  learned  in 
lower  grades?  In  some  schools  they  are  recited  oc- 
casionally at  opening  exercises. 


Copying  and  Dictation  193 

61.   STUDY   OF  A   POEM 

Windy  Nights 

Whenever  the  moon  and  stars  are  set, 

Whenever  the  wind  is  high, 
All  night  long  in  the  dark  and  wet, 

A  man  goes  riding  by. 
Late  in  the  night  when  the  fires  are  out. 
Why  does  he  gallop  and  gallop  about  ? 

Whenerer  the  trees  are  crying  aloud. 

And  ships  are  tossed  at  sea. 
By  on  the  highway,  low  and  loud, 

By  at  a  gallop  goes  he. 
By  at  a  gallop  he  goes,  and  then  1 

By  he  comes  back  at  a  gallop  again. 

ROBERT  LOUIS   STEVENSON 

Who  wrote  this  poem?  What  does  he  imagine  the 
wind  to  be  ? 

Commit  to  memory  this  poem  or  "The  Land  of 
Storybooks."  Or,  if  you  prefer,  you  may  choose  some 
other  Stevenson  poem.  There  are  many  that  you  will 
enjoy  in  "A  Child's  Garden  of  Verses."  You  will  find 
the  book  in  any  public  library.  Will  one  of  you  who 
owns  a  copy  bring  it  to  school  ? 

62.    COPYING   AND   DICTATION 

Copy  the  following  letter  as  seat  work,  trying  to  get 
it  right  in  every  particular.  In  class  you  will  write  it 
from  dictation. 


194  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

If  you  think  every  time  of  the  arrangement  of  the 
parts,  margins,  indentions,  etc.,  you  will  soon  be  able 
to  give  all  your  attention  to  the  thoughts  you  are 
expressing. 

Notice  how  the  comma  is  used  in  writing  the  list  of 
gifts  in  the  first  sentence. 

25  Westfield  Ave. 
Trenton,  New  Jersey 
February  2,  1922 
Dear  Phil, 

Uncle  John  sent  me  a  rooster,  two  pullets,  and  a  guinea 
pig.  They  don't  seem  to  Hke  city  life.  When  I  go  near 
them,  they  make  a  great  fuss.  This  noon  father  brought 
me  a  book  called  "Taming  Wild  Animals."  Think  of 
calling  the  poor  things  wild ! 

Give  my  love  to  Tom  and  to  both  the  dogs. 

Your  friend, 
Jack  S. 

Learn  the  following  quotation.  Why  is  it  given 
here? 

Habit  is  a  cable.  We  weave  a  thread  of  it  each  day, 
and  it  soon  becomes  so  strong  that  we  cannot  break  it. 

63.    EXPLAINING   HOW   THINGS   ARE   DONE 

State  clearly  how  one  of  the  following  kinds  of  work 
is  done.  Select  one  that  you  know  about  somewhat 
fully.     Do  not  begin  too  many  sentences  with  then. 

1.  Making  a  cup  of  tea. 

2.  Shoeing  a  horse. 

3.  Setting  a  table. 


Answering  Questions  195 

4.  Making  a  kite. 

5.  Preparing  the  soil  for  seed. 

6.  Washing  dishes. 

7.  Studying  a  dictation  lesson. 

8.  Turning  in  a  fire  alarm. 

9.  Feeding  chickens. 

64.   ANSWERING    QUESTIONS 

A   teacher   once   asked   this   question :     Which   of 
Robert  Louis  Stevenson's  poems  is  your  favorite  ? 
The  following  answers  were  given  by  three  children : 

The  poem  of  Robert  Louis  Stevenson's  that  is  my  favorite 
is  "My  Shadow." 

My  favorite  Stevenson  poem  is  ''The  Wind." 
"In  the  Land  of  Storybooks"  is  my  favorite. 

Which  of  the  children  tried  to  use  all  the  words  in  the 
question?  Was  this  necessary?  Did  the  other  chil- 
dren answer  the  question  fully? 

In  your  school  work  you  are  constantly  answering 
questions.  Try  to  answer  them  fully,  but  without 
wasting  words.     These  are  the  steps  to  take : 

Think  what  the  question  means. 

Think  what  you  should  answer. 

Think  how  to  state  your  answer  in  the  most  direct 
way. 

Which  is  the  best  of  the  following  answers  to  the 
question,  "In  what  two  ways  does  the  sun  help 
plants?" 


196  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

The  sun  helps  plants  by  giving  them  light  and  heat. 
The  sun  gives  plants  hght  and  heat. 

The  two  ways  in  which  the  sun  helps  plants  are  by  giving 
light  and  heat. 

Your  teacher  will  give  you  five  questions  from  your 
geography  lessons.  Try  to  answer  them  in  the  most 
direct  way. 

Do  you  see  how  your  language  lessons  help  all  other 
lessons  ? 

65.  ASKING   AND   ANSWERING    QUESTIONS 

As  seat  work  write  three  questions,  leaving  a  space 
under  each  for  the  answer.  They  should  be  worth- 
while questions. 

These  papers  will  be  exchanged  and  the  answers 
written  in  class.  Questions  and  answers  will  then  be 
read,  and  the  class  will  decide  if  the  answer  can  be 
improved. 

Ask  your  teacher  to  hang  up  some  of  the  best  papers. 

66.  DAILY  DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  May  and  Can 

"Oh,  Mother,"  cried  Harry  Bates,  bursting  into  the 
sitting  room,  "can  I  go  over  and  play  with  Ned?" 

"Certainly,  Harry,"  answered  Mrs.  Bates.  "Why  do 
you  ask?    You  know  you  can  go." 

Harry  was  puzzled,  for  he  had  never  been  allowed  to 
visit  his  friends  without  permission.  But,  too  happy  to 
question,  he  seized  his  cap  and  started  for  the  door. 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  197 

"Wait,  dear,"  said  his  mother;  ''where  are  you  going?" 

"Over  to  Ned's,"  repHed  Harry.  "You  just  said  I 
might." 

"Oh,  no,  Harry,  I  am  certain  that  you  did  not  ask 
permission  to  go  to  Ned's,"  said  Mrs.  Bates  quietly. 

"Why,  Mother,"  exclaimed  Harry,  "I  asked  you,  and 
you  said,  'You  know  that  you  can  go' !" 

Mrs.  Bates  laughed,  "Yes,  that  is  just  what  I  said.  Of 
course  a  little  boy  with  a  pair  of  sturdy  legs  can  go  across 
the  street.  Suppose  that  he  now  asks  my  permission  to 
go."  ^ 

Then  Harry  remembered.  "May  I  go  to  Ned's?"  he 
asked'  gayly. 

"Say  it  five  times,  so  that  you  will  remember  the  next 
time,"  answered  Mrs.  Bates. 

So  Harry  kept  tally  on  his  chubby  fingers  as  he  sputtered, 
"May  I  go  to  Ned's?  May  I  go  to  Ned's?  May  I  go  to 
Ned's?     May  I  go  to  Ned's?     May  I  go  to  Ned's?" 

"Yes,  Harry,  you  may  go,"  laughed  his  mother.  "You 
may  go,  you  may  stay  until  five  o'clock,  you  may  invite 
Ned  to  supper,  and  you  may  both  go  to  the  station  to 
meet  Father." 

"Hurrah!"  shouted  Harry.  And  with  a  leap  and  a 
bound  he  was  off. 

Read  the  story  and  talk  it  over  in  class  until  you 
understand  the  difference  in  use  between  may  and  can. 

Use  for  a  few  days  the  following  exercise  in  your 
three-minute  drills : 

1 .  May  I  borrow  your  pencil,  Mary  ? 

2.  Yes,  you  may,  Fannie. 

3.  May  I  leave  the  room? 


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4 

5 
6 

7 
8 

9 

lO 


May  I  take  my  notebook  home  ? 

May  we  write  fairy  stories  today  ? 

May  we  play  Cindcrelki  ? 

May  Alice  go  home  with  me  ? 

May  I  sharpen  my  pencil  ? 

May  I  look  at  the  pictures? 

May  we  write  a  note  to  the  principal  ? 


67.    SPELLING   LESSON 

Review  also  the  words  on  page  171.  Use  the  groups 
of  words  in  sentences.  With  what  kind  of  letters  do 
the  names  of  the  holidays  begin  ? 


written 

choose 

Christmas  Day 

hoping 

ninety 

Thanksgiving  Day 

seems 

ninth 

Hallowe'en 

believe 

against 

tear  my  dress 

wear 

straight 

read  yesterday 

shoes 

busy 

the  whole  orange 

ready 

country 

eight  cents 

perhaps 

heard 

used  to  play 

friend 

making 

don't  know 

doctor 

woman 

two  women 

The  names  of  holidays  begin  with  capital  letters. 


68.   DICTIONARY   LESSON 

For  seat  work  arrange  in  alphabetical  order  all  the 
words  in  the  last  spelling  lesson. 

Suppose  you  wished  to  find  the  word  sugar  in  a  long 
list  of  5  words.     It  would  take  a  long  time  to  go  through 


Study  of  a  Story  199 

the  entire  list,  but  this  is  unnecessary.  What  letter 
follows  s?  Does  u  come  near  the  beginning,  middle, 
or  end  of  the  alphabet  ?  In  which  part  of  the  list  would 
you  look  for  the  word  sugar  ? 

Ask  your  teacher  to  give  you  practice  in  finding 
words  in  the  Index  of  this  book  and  in  alphabetically 
arranged  lists  in  your  spellers. 

Arrange  the  following  words  alphabetically,  thinking 
of  the  second  letter  of  each  : 

shine,  sugar,  'small,  salt,  sometimes,  sweep,  sentence, 
snail,' simple. 

Seat  Work 

For  the  next  three  days  arrange  each  day  one  of  the 
following  lists  alphabetically : 

bend,  break,  better,  bank,  border,  built,  blanket, 
cramp,  clock,  camp,  church,  cent,  corner, 
plant,  peace,  practice,  pinch,  poultry,  part,  put. 

69.   STUDY   OF   A   STORY 

The  Country  Mouse  and  the  City  Mouse 

A  city  mouse  once  paid  a  visit  to  his  cousin  who  lived 
in  the  country.  When  dinner  time  came,  they  went  into 
the  barn  and  searched  for  grains  of  wheat. 

"My  dear  cousin,"  said  the  city  mouse,  "why  do  you 
remain  in  the  country  where  you  have  nothing  but  the 
plainest  food?  Come  to  the  city  with  me.  I  promise 
that  you  shall  Hve  like  a  king.  My  pantry  is  always  full 
of  the  choicest  food." 


200  Self-IIelp  English  Lessotis 

"Thank  you  a  thousand  times,"  said  the  country- 
mouse.  "I  have  often  wished  to  see  what  city  Ufe  is 
Uke." 

So  off  they  pattered  and  soon  reached  the  house  where 
the  city  mouse  Uved.     They  went  directly  to  the  pantry. 

*'Now,  my  dear  cousin,  let  us  eat  and  be  merry,"  said 
the  city  mouse  cordially. 

''Why  did  I  stay  in  the  country  so  long?"  exclaimed  the 
country  mouse,  as  he  greedily  ate  cheese  and  cake  and 
honey.  "I  shall  never  forget  your  kindness  in  bringing 
me  here." 

Just  then  the  pantry  door  opened,  and  a  maid  came  in. 
"Follow  me,"  whispered  the  city  mouse  in  great  fright. 
The  mice  ran  swiftly  to  the  hole  which  formed  the  mouse 
entrance  to  the  pantry. 

"Those  thievish  mice  have  been  here  again,"  said  the 
maid  as  she  brushed  up  the  crumbs  of  cake  and  cheese. 
"I  must  certainly  send  in  the  cat." 

When  the  mice  heard  the  word  cat,  they  trembled  with 
fright.  A  long  time  passed,  however,  and  as  their  enemy 
did  not  come,  they  ventured  out  again.  This  time  they 
found  some  dehcious  beans.  Scarcely  had  they  begun  to 
nibble  them  when  the  door  opened  and  a  great  white  cat 
crept  into  the  pantry. 

"Now  I  have  you !"  hissed  the  cat  as  she  sprang  toward 
them. 

"Oh!  Oh!  Oh!"  squeaked  the  country  mouse. 

"Run  for  your  life!"  cried  the  city  mouse.  Both  mice 
dashed  across  the  pantry.  They  reached  the  hole  in 
safety,  but  just  outside  they  could  see  the  gleam  of  the  cat's 
green  eyes. 

When  the  mice  had  recovered  somewhat  from  their 
fright,  the  country  mouse  said,  "My  dear  cousin,  I  am 
going  back  to  my  country  home.     Stay  here,  if  you  like. 


Study  of  a  Story  201 

As  for  me,  I  prefer  my  plain  coijntry  fare  and  a  life  of 
peace." 

Read  the  story  of  "The  Country  Mouse  and  the 
City  Mouse."  Did  you  see  the  pictures  clearly  as  you 
read  ? 

Whom  did  the  city  mouse  visit  ?  What  did  they  have 
for  dinner?  What  invitation  did  the  city  mouse  give 
the  country  mouse?  How  did  the  country  mouse 
accept  it?  What  did  they  do  when  they  reached  the 
city  mouse's  pahtry  ? 

Hwv  do  you  know  that  the  country  mouse  enjoyed 
the  feast?  Who  came  to  the  party  uninvited?  Tell 
about  the  escape  of  the  mice.  What  did  the  maid  say 
she  must  do?  What  were  the  mice  doing  while  she 
brushed  up  the  crumbs  ?  What  did  they  do  when  they 
found  that  their  enemy,  the  cat,  did  not  appear  ?  How 
were  they  frightened  the  second  time?  Tell  the  story 
of  their  second  escape.  How  do  you  know  that  they 
had  a  narrow  escape?  What  was  the  effect  on  the 
country  mouse  ? 

What  do  the  following  expressions  mean?  A  good 
way  to  teU  will  be  to  give  other  expressions  that  mean 
the  same  thing. 

Searched  for  grains  of  wheat ;  choicest  food ;  said  the 
city  mouse  cordially;  mouse  entrance  to  the  pantry; 
ventured  out  again;  delicious  beans ;  had  scarcely  begun 
to  nibble;  recovered  from  their  fright ;  plain  country  fare. 

If  there  are  any  expressions  you  do  not  understand, 
ask  questions  of  your  classmates. 


202  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

70.  PLAYING   THE   STORY 

How  many  children  will  be  needed?  How  many 
scenes?  How  can  you  arrange  a  mouse  hole  in  the 
pantry  ? 

Several  children  may  show  how  the  country  mouse 
ate  the  cheese.  How  did  the  city  mouse  whisper 
''Follow  me"?  Show  how  the  mice  trembled  with 
fright.  Try  to  hiss  as  the  cat  did.  How  did  the 
country  mouse  squeal  "Oh!  Oh!  Oh!"?  Say  "Run 
for  your  life"  as  the  city  mouse  probably  said  it. 

Show  how  the  mice  dashed  across  the  pantry. 
Notice  that  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  story, 
the  mice  were  doing  something  every  moment,  even 
if  it  was  only  trembling  with  fright. 

Does  the  story  tell  what  the  mice  said  to  each  other 
when  the  city  mouse  reached  the  country  ?  Of  course 
they  greeted  each  other  politely.  Do  not  try  to  re- 
member just  what  the  mice  said  in  the  story,  although 
you  will  use  some  of  the  same  words.  Have  the  story 
itself  in  mind,  and  say  what  you  think  would  be  natural 
things  to  say.  You  may  wish  to  talk  more  as  the  mice 
eat  the  cheese. 

Several  sets  of  children  may  act  out  the  story.  The 
others  in  the  class  will  tell  if  they  think  the  story  was 
well  dramatized.  Be  sure  to  tell  exactly  what  was 
good.  Suggest  better  ways  of  acting  the  story.  Plan 
to  have  the  best  set  of  actors  play  the  story  for  a 
younger  grade. 


A  Story  of  George  Washington  203 

Pronunciation  Drill 

Drill  on  the  pronunciation  of  the  following  words  for 
a  minute  or  two  at  the  beginning  of  each  language 
lesson  for  a  week.     Review  also  page  140. 

since  length  ate  an  apple 

pretty  clothes  yes,  sir 

drowned  pumpkin  good  and  bad 

71.   A   STORY    OF   GEORGE   WASHINGTON 

On  what  day  do  we  celebrate  Washington's  birthday  ? 
Read  the  following  story  : 

While  at  some  distance  from  his  home,  George  Wash- 
ington once  saw  a  fiery  horse  that  few  could  ride.  He 
admired  the  noble  animal  so  much  that  the  owner  said, 
"  My  boy,  if  you  can  ride  the  horse  home  and  back  again 
without  being  thrown,  he  shall  be  yours." 

George  leaped  upon  the  animal  and  was  off  like  the  wind. 
When  he  proudly  rode  back  a  little  later,  the  owner  of  the 
horse  said,  "  I  always  keep  my  word.     The  horse  is  yours." 

"No,"  answered  George,  "I  was  thrown  once,  although 
I  did  not  let  go  of  the  reins." 


t>^ 


What  does  this  story  teach  about  George  Washing- 
ton's character  as  a  boy?  Study  the  story  until  you 
can  tell  it  well.  Use  the  words  of  the  book  whenever 
they  are  better  than  those  you  might  otherwise  use. 

For  your  next  lesson,  you  may  each  be  prepared  to 
tell  a  short  story  about  some  great  man.  You  may 
choose  either  a  man  whom  the  entire  country  honors, 
or  one  who  belongs  to  your  special  part  of  the  country. 


204  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

72.   TELLING   THE   HERO    STORIES 

When  the  stories  have  all  been  told,  choose  the  best 
one.     Tell  why  you  admire  the  hero  described. 

73.   PICTURE   WRITING 

Are  you  still  trying  to  see  pictures  in  your  mind  when 
you  read  word  pictures? 

The  following  lines  of  poetry  tell  how  Hiawatha  did 
his  picture  writing.     Try  to  see  the  pictures  clearly. 

From  his  pouch  he  took  his  colors, 
Took  his  paints  of  different  colors, 
On  the  smooth  bark  of  the  birch  tree 
Painted  many  shapes  and  figures, 
Wonderful  and  mystic  figures, 
And  each  figure  had  a  meaning. 


For  the  earth  he  drew  a  straight  line, 
For  the  sky  a  bow  above  it ; 
White  the  space  between  for  daytime, 
Filled  with  little  stars  for  nighttime, 
On  the  left  a  point  for  sunrise. 
On  the  right  a  point  for  sunset. 
On  the  top  a  point  for  noontide ; 
And  for  rain  and  cloudy  weather 
Waving  lines  descending  from  it.' 
Footprints  pointing  toward  a  wigwam 
Were  a  sign  of  invitation, 
Were  a  sign  of  guests  assembling. 

When  the  poem  has  been  read  carefully,  and  all  are 
sure  that  they  understand  what  Hiawatha  did,  seven 


A  Study  of  Word  Pictures  205 

children  may  go  to  the  blackboard.  First  draw  two 
vertical  lines  for  the  trunk  of  the  birch  tree.  Then 
draw  on  the  trunk  one  of  the  following  pictures :  the 
earth  in  daytime  ;  the  earth  at  night ;  sunrise  ;  sunset ; 
noontime ;  a  rainy  day ;  an  invitation  to  the  wigwam. 

The  class  may  decide  if  the  picture  writing  is  good ; 
that  is,  if  it  is  done  in  the  way  described  in  the  poem. 
If  any  picture  can  be  improved,  tell  exactly  what  should 
be  done  and  why. 

,74.   EXPLAINING   THE   PICTURE   WRITING 

As  seat  work  write  a  note  to  the  teacher  of  another 
grade,  asking  her  to  allow  several  children  to  visit  your 
class  at  your  next  language  lesson.  Your  teacher  will 
select  a  perfectly  written  note  to  send. 

Entertain  your  guests  by  telling  them  in  an  interest- 
ing way  how  Hiawatha  wrote  in  pictures.  Use  the 
blackboard  pictures  as  illustrations. 

75.   A   STUDY    OF   WORD    PICTURES 

The  poets  who  wrote  the  following  quotations  had 
pictures  in  their  minds.  Draw  the  pictures  on  the 
blackboard  if  you  see  them  clearly.  Use  colored  cray- 
ons if  you  have  them  and  you  think  they  would  help. 

The  earth  was  green,  the  sky  was  blue  : 
I  saw  and  heard,  one  sunny  morn, 

A  skylark  hung  between  the  two, 
A  singing  speck  above  the  corn. 

CHRISTINA    ROSSETTI 


2o6  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

The  Shadow 

At  sunrise  he's  a  giant  tall ; 
At  noon  he's  withered,  lean  and  small. 
At  sunset  he  regains  his  height, 
And  covers  all  the  land  at  night. 

JOHN    BANNISTER    TABB 

The  asters  by  the  roadside 
Make  asters  in  the  brook. 

HELEN  HUNT   JACKSON 

All  around  the  happy  village 

Stood  the  maize  fields,  green  and  shining. 

HENRY   W.    LONGFELLOW 

Why  is  "a  singing  speck"  a  good  name  for  a  bird 
singing  high  in  the  air?  What  other  words  or  ex- 
pressions do  you  like?  Which  word  picture  do  you 
like  best?    Why? 

Show  what  these  words  mean  by  using  each  in  an 
original  sentence  :  lean,  maize  fields,  regains.  Explain 
clearly  the  second  selection.     Use  the  blackboard. 

Learn  your  favorite,  and  write  it  from  memory 
during  your  study  period. 

76.    CONVERSATION   LESSON 

Our  Friends  in  Other  Lands 

Read  the  picture  on  the  opposite  page.  See  how 
much  you  can  learn  from  it  of  the  Dutch  children's 
clothing,  houses,  customs,  etc.     Each  pupil  may  give 


Conversation  Lesson 


207 


2o8  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

orally  a  short  paragraph  about  what  most  interests 
him. 

Can  any  of  you  tell  the  story  of  "The  Little  Hero  of 
Haarlem"?  If  you  do  not  know  it,  ask  your  teacher 
to  tell  it  to  you  sometime. 

77.   A   NEW   USE   OF   THE   APOSTROPHE 

Review  the  lesson  on  Contractions  on  page  158. 
What  work  does  the  apostrophe  do  in  contractions? 
In  the  following  sentence  the  apostrophe  is  used  in  two 

different  words.     Are  they  both  contractions?     Prove 

« 

your  answer. 

The  Dutch  boy's  cap  isn't  like  ours. 

If  possible,  a  pupil  may  tell  why  the  apostrophe  is 
used  in  boy^s.  If  no  one  can  do  so,  answer  the  follow- 
ing questions : 

What  letter  is  omitted  in  isnH?  Is  any  letter 
omitted  in  boy's?  What  thing  owned  by  the  Dutch 
boy  is  mentioned  ? 

The  apostrophe  and  5  were  added  to  boy  to  show  that 
he  owned  the  clothes.  If  the  s  alone  were  added,  the 
word  would  not  show  possession.  It  would  mean  more 
than  one  boy. 

Notice  that  when  a  word  shows  ownership,  like  boy's, 
the  name  of  what  is  owned  follows  it  immediately. 

Explain  the  use  of  the  apostrophe  in  the  following 
sentences : 


Copying  Lesson  209 

1.  Harry's  book  isn't  interesting. 

2.  Why  doesn't  May  start  for  school  ? 

3.  She  isn't  going  today  because  her  brother's  arm  is 
broken. 

4.  Hiawatha's  chickens  are  glad  spring  has  come. 

5.  Will  you  please  catch  Mr.  Smith's  horse  for  him, 
Ned? 

6.  I'll  try,  Mother,  but  I'm  afraid  he's  too  swift  for  me. 

7.  Cinderella's  godmother  touched  her  with  a  wand. 

For  seat  work,  copy  from  your  readers  five  contrac- 
tions and  write  after  each  what  it  stands  for.     Do  it  in 

this  way : 

I'll  =  I  will. 

Then  write  three  original  sentences  containing  an 
apostrophe  and  an  s  to  show  ownership  or  possession. 

An  apostrophe  and  s  are  added  to  the  name  of  one  per- 
son or  thing  to  denote  possession. 

78.   COPYING   LESSON 

Copy  the  following  story  in  class.  Think  of  the 
reason  for  every  punctuation  mark  and  particularly 
the  apostrophes.  Be  ready  to  answer  any  question 
your  teacher  asks  as  she  passes  your  desk. 

Jan  lives  in  Holland.  He  doesn't  wear  shoes  Kke  ours. 
His  sister's  shoes  and  his  own  are  made  of  wood.  How 
heavy  they  must  be  !     Should  you  Uke  to  wear  them  ? 

A  Language  Bulletin  Board 

Ask  your  teacher  if  you  may  have  a  small  part  of  the 
blackboard  for  a  language  bulletin  board.     If  you  have 


210  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

not  blackboard  space  enough,  perhaps  you  can  paint 
a  smooth  board  black  and  hang  it  up.  Use  it  in  the 
following  way : 

Your  teacher  will  each  day  appoint  a  pupil  to  take 
charge  of  the  bulletin  board  for  the  following  day. 
This  pupil  will  write  on  the  bulletin  board  one  sentence 
in  which  an  apostrophe  and  s  are  used  to  denote 
possession.  The  sentence  should  be  written  before 
class  time.  You  will  then  take  just  a  minute  or  two, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  language  lesson  to  see  if  the 
sentence  is  correctly  written  and  to  explain  the  use  of 
the  apostrophe.     Copy  the  sentence  for  seat  work. 

79.   DICTATION   LESSON 

Today  you  will  write  a  short  letter  from  dictation. 
It  will  be  of  such  a  nature  that  you  should  make  not 
a  single  mistake.  Look  out  for  the  use  of  the 
apostrophe ! 

80.   DAILY  DRILL   EXERCISE 

The  Second  Drive  —  Don't  and  DoesnH 

What  word  did  you  try  to  use  correctly  in  your  last 
drive  ?     Have  you  fully  succeeded  ? 

DonH  and  doesn't  are  both  correct  in  certain  sentences. 
DonH  is  used  much  oftener  than  doesn't,  and  perhaps 
this  is  the  reason  why  some  persons  use  it  always. 

Don't  is  a  short  form  for  do  not,  and  doesn't  is  a  short 
form  for  does  not. 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  211 

The  following  groups  of  words  are  arranged  in  pairs. 
The  groups  of  each  pair  have  the  same  meaning.  Use 
in  a  sentence  each  group  of  words  containing  don't  and 


doesnH. 


I  do  not 

They  do  not 

She  does  not 

I  don't 

They  don't 

She  doesn't 

We  do  not 

Boys  do  not 

He  does  not 

We  don't 

Boys  don't 

He  doesn't 

You  do  not 

Frank  and  I  do  not 

It  does  not 

You  don't 

Frank  and  I  don't 

It  doesn't 

DoesnH  is  used  whenever  does  not  would  be  correct. 
We  say  "He  does  not,"  and  therefore  we  should  say 
"He  doesn't."  We  say  "She  does  not"  and  "It  does 
not,"  and  therefore  we  should  say  "She  doesn't"  and 
"It  doesn't."  We  say  "The  book  does  not"  and 
"Frank  does  not,"  and  for  this  reason  we  should  say 
"The  book  doesn't"  and  "Frank  doesn't."  Use 
doesn't  whenever  does  not  would  also  be  correct. 

Use  for  a  few  days  these  sentences  and  the  groups  of 
words  in  your  three-minute  drills : 

1.  The  sun  doesn't  shine  today. 

2.  Doesn't  the  snow  fall  softly  ! 

3.  Frank  doesn't  like  to  study. 

4.  Mother  doesn't  allow  me  to  swim. 

5.  She  doesn't  think  it  is  safe. 

6.  Doesn't  your  brother  know  how  to  row? 

7.  It  doesn't  take  long  to  learn. 

8.  Running  doesn't  tire  me. 


212  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

9.   Scamp  doesn't  bark  at  people. 
10.   He  doesn't  bite,  either. 

Plan  your  drive,  and  carry  it  on  until  you  can  use 
donH  and  doesn't  correctly. 

81.  A   LANGUAGE    GAME 

Before  beginning  to  play,  each  child  may  write  on  one 
piece  of  paper  the  name  of  an  animal  and  on  another 
the  name  of  something  the  animal  can  do.  For  in- 
stance, pig  may  be  written  on  one  paper  and  grunt  on 
the  other,  or  lion  on  one  piece  and  roar  on  the  other. 

The  animal  names  may  be  put  into  one  box  and  the 
other  words  into  another.  When  they  have  been 
thoroughly  mixed,  each  pupil  may  draw  a  word  from 
each  box. 

The  first  child  then  reads  silently  both  words  taken 
from  the  boxes,  and  if  they  happen  to  fit  together, 
as  in  the  case  of  dog  and  harks,  says,  "A  dog  barks." 
But  usually  the  words  will  not  fit  each  other,  as  in 
the  case  of  monkey  and  bleat.  The  child  then  says, 
"A  monkey  doesn't  bleat."  Go  rapidly  around  the 
class.  Any  child  who  uses  a  wrong  word  instead  of 
doesnH  pays  a  forfeit.  What  would  be  a  good  forfeit  for 
this  game? 

82.  STORIES   TO   LEARN 

The  Oak  and  the  Reed 

An  oak  tree  grew  close  beside  a  reed  on  a  river  bank. 
"How  foolish  you  are  to  tremble  so  when  the  wind  blows !" 


Stories  to  Learn  213 

he  said  to  the  reed.  ''  No  wind  can  make  me  bow  at  his 
bidding!" 

"That  may  be,"  rephed  the  reed,  "but  the  wind  is  very- 
gentle  when  I  play  with  him.  We  dance  together  and  are 
excellent  friends." 

"Let  him  try  to  dance  with  me!"  exclaimed  the  oak 
boastfully.     "I  prefer  to  choose  my  friends." 

That  evening  the  wind  swept  dowTi  from  the  mountains 
and  blew  fiercely  all  night.  When  morning  came,  the  oak 
was  drifting  down  the  stream,  but  the  reed  stood  unharmed 
on  the  bank.      • 

Read  the  fable.  Why  did  the  reed  not  break? 
Ask  each  other  questions  about  any  words  you  do  not 
understand.     What  does  the  fable  teach  ? 

The  Eagle  and  the  Crow 

A  crow  once  saw  an  eagle  seize  a  lamb  in  its  claws  and 
fly  away  with  it. 

"Well  done,"  thought  the  crow;  "I'll  try  that  myself," 
and  down  he  swept  upon  a  ram.  But  his  claws  became 
entangled  in  the  ram's  wool.  He  could  neither  lift  the 
ram  nor  get  away.  The  farmer  caught  him,  clipped  his 
wings,  and  took  him  home  to  his  children. 

"What  kind  of  bird  is  he?"  cried  the  children. 

"He'll  tell  you  himself  that  he  is  an  eagle,"  answered 
the  farmer,  "but  take  my  word  for  it  that  he  is  only  a 
crow." 

Have  you  ever  seen  an  eagle  ?  How  does  he  compare 
in  size  with  a  crow  ?  Which  bird  tried  to  lift  the  larger 
animal  ?     What  does  the  fable  teach  ? 


214  Self -Help  Ejiglish  Lessons 

You  may  commit  to  memory  one  of  these  fables. 
Be  ready  at  your  next  lesson.  Make  no  change  of  any 
consequence.  Try  to  become  familiar  with  the  words 
of  the  book,  and  use  them  at  other  times  as  well. 

83.   KEEPING   A   DIARY 

Do  you  know  any  one  who  has  a  little  book  in  which 
to  write  the  most  important  events  of  the  day?  Such 
a  book  is  called  a  diary.  Discuss  in  class  the  reasons 
why  people  may  like  to  keep  a  diary.  Should  you  like 
to  keep  one?  Will  some  one  bring  one  to  show  the 
class  ? 

Your  teacher  will  show  you  how  to  make  a  diary  by 
fastening  together  a  number  of  sheets  of  paper.  If  you 
have  a  drawing  teacher,  write  a  class  note  to  her,  telling 
what  you  are  planning  to  do  and  asking  her  to  help  you 
to  make  a  pretty  cover  for  your  diary.  If  you  have  no 
drawing  teacher,  write  a  note  to  your  class  teacher, 
telling  her  what  kind  of  cover  you  should  like  to  make. 
She  will  help  you  if  possible. 

In  a  few  days,  when  the  diaries  are  ready,  you  will 
begin  to  write  in  them  the  wonderful  things  that  happen 
during  the  spring. 

84.   TELLING   A   STORY  FROM  A  PICTURE 

If  you  were  to  paint  this  picture,  what  color  would 
you  use  for  the  cross  on  the  dog's  blanket?  Why? 
Did  you  ever  see  a  dog  help  in  this  way  ?     Tell  a  short 


Telling  a  Story  from  a  Picture  215 

story  suggested  by  the  picture.  This  will  be  team 
work.  Give  the  story  a  good  title  and  a  good  begin- 
ning sentence. 


Stories  About  Earning  Money 

If  you  arc  a  member  of  the  Junior  Red  Cross,  tell 
how  you  earned  the  money  to  pay  your  fee.  If  you 
are  not  a  member,  tell  about  the  first  money  you  ever 
earned.     Are  you  earning  any  money  now? 

Have  you  ever  saved  any  money?  Tell  why  you 
saved  it  and  what  you  plan  to  do  with  it. 


2i6  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

85.  ANSWERING   A  LETTER 

34  Village  Lane 

Elmtree,  Birdland 
April  23,  1922 
Dear  Friend, 

It  was  very  kind  of  you  to  give  us  crumbs  last  winter. 
Most  of  our  friends  went  to  the  sunny  South,  but  we  were 
left  behind. 

My  pretty  little  wife  and  I  have  been  trying  to  build 
a  nest  here  in  Elmtree.  But  what  do  you  think?  The 
sparrows  drive  us  away.  We  are  no  match  for  the  selfish 
creatures.  Will  you  please  build  us  a  Httle  house  in  your 
yard? 

Your  true  friends, 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bluebird 

Study  this  letter  carefully.  Notice  how  all  the  parts 
are  arranged. 

In  class,  write  a  reply  to  the  letter.  If  you  cannot 
build  a  house  for  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bluebird,  you  may  find 
some  other  way  in  which  you  can  help  them. 

86.  STARTING   THE   DIARIES 

What  wonderful  things  happen  out-of-doors  in 
sprmg?  It  will  be  interesting  to  watch  for  changes 
from  day  to  day  and  describe  them  in  your  diaries. 
Talk  over  in  class  the  changes  you  may  expect  to  find 
where  you  live. 

Here  are  two  diary  stories,  the  first  written  by  a 
grown-up  and  the  other  by  a  child  : 


Starting  the  Diaries  217 

Friday,  April  16,  1922 

The  buttercups  are  here !  I  saw  the  first  ones  this 
morning,  their  golden  eyes  starring  the  meadows.  Our 
living  room  is  now  aglow  with  them. 

Tuesday,  March  19,  1922 
I  saw  a  bluebird  this  morning.     His  back  was  blue,  but 
his  breast  was  like  the  robin's.     He  told  me  that  spring 
had  come. 

Here  is  a  desgription  of  the  large  woodpecker  known 
as  the  "flicker."  It  will  help  you  to  describe  the  birds 
that  you  see.  The  rump  of  a  bird  is  the  lower  part  of 
the  back. 

The  flicker  is  larger  than  the  robin.  He  has  a  long  tail 
and  a  long,  pointed  beak.  His  breast  is  yellow  and  covered 
with  spots.     When  he  flies,  he  shows  his  white  rump. 

Why  is  the  date  written  at  the  head  of  the  diary 
story?     You  may  write  it  in  the  same  way. 

Today  and  for  the  following  three  lessons  you  may 
write  in  your  diaries.  Tell  of  something  interesting 
that  you  have  seen  out-of-doors  —  birds,  trees,  flowers, 
etc.  When  this  is  not  possible,  tell  about  some  inter- 
esting experience. 

If  you  write  a  list  of  more  than  two  birds  or  flowers 
you  have  seen,  use  commas  as  in  the  following  sentence  : 

I  have  seen  robins,  bluebirds,  and  swallows. 

Read  the  sentence  and  tell  if  your  voice  sets  off  the 
words  from  each  other. 


2l8 


Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 


Your  diaries  will  all  be  different,  of  course.  When 
they  are  well  started,  you  may  write  in  them  once  every 
week,  or  oftener  if  you  wish  and  if  you  do  your  very  best 
always.  Your  teacher  will  appoint  a  day  each  week 
for  this  work. 


87.   ABBREVIATIONS    OF    THE    DAYS    OF   THE    WEEK 

AND   THE   MONTHS 

You  have  learned  to  write  the  short  forms  Mr.,  Mrs., 
St.,  and  Ave.  These  short  forms  are  called  abbrevia- 
tions. Pronounce  abbreviations  several  times  after 
your  teacher. 

The  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  and  some  of  the 
months  also  have  abbreviations,  as  follows : 


Sunday,  Sun. 
Monday,  Men. 
Tuesday,  Tues. 


January,  Jan. 
February,  Feb. 
March,  Mar. 
April,  Apr. 


Saturday,  Sat. 

May 
June 
July 
August,  Aug. 


Wednesday,  Wed. 
Thursday,  Thur. 
Friday,  Fri. 


September,  Sept. 
October,  Oct. 
November,  Nov. 
December,  Dec. 


Which  abbreviations  contain  the  first  three  letters 
of  the  word  and  a  period?  Which  one  contains  the 
first  two  letters  and  a  period  ?  the  first  four  letters  and 
a  period?  Give  a  good  reason  why  there  are  no 
abbreviations  for  three  of  the  names. 

If  you  now  spell  the  names  of  the  days  and  the 


Study  of  Two  Poems  219 

months  correctly  every  time  you  write  them,  you  may 
use  the  abbreviations  in  your  diaries  if  your  teacher 
wishes  you  to  do  so.  Never  use  the  abbreviations  when 
the  words  occur  in  sentences. 

The  Difference  between  Abbreviations  and 

Contractions 

Read  the  contractions  isnH,  don't,  wouldn't.  Are 
the  short  forms  used  in  speaking  as  well  as  in  writing  ? 

Read  the  following  abbreviations:  Mr.,  Mrs.,  St., 
Ave.,  Mon.,  Dec.  Are  these  short  forms  used  in  speak- 
ing or  only  in  writing  ? 

Discuss  in  class  the  difference  between  abbreviations 
and  contractions,  and  state  it  clearly. 

88.    STUDY   OF   TWO   POEMS 

Read  the  following  poems  at  your  seats  and  select 
your  favorite.  Be  ready  to  tell  your  classmates  what 
you  like  about  the  poem  you  choose.  Help  each  other 
if  you  find  unfamiliar  words. 

What  different  words  are  used  for  "told"  in  the 
second  poem?     Show  how  each  fits  the  speaker. 

Read  the  poems  as  you  think  the  authors  would  like 
to  have  them  read.     Commit  one  of  them  to  memory. 

What  Robin  Told 

How  do  the  robins  build  their  nests  ? 

Robin  Redbreast  told  me. 
First  a  wisp  of  amber  hay 
In  a  pretty  round  they  lay, 


220  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

Then  some  shreds  of  downy  floss, 
Feathers,  too,  and  bits  of  moss. 
Woven  with  a  sweet,  sweet  song, 
This  way,  that  way,  and  across ; 
That's  what  Robin  told  me. 

Where  do  the  robins  hide  their  nests  ? 

Robin  Redbreast  told  me. 
Up  among  the  leaves  so  deep. 
Where  the  sunbeams  rarely  creep ; 
Long  before  the  winds  are  cold. 
Long  before  the  leaves  are  gold. 
Bright-eyed  stars  will  peep,  and  see 
Baby  robins,  one,  two,  three  ; 

That's  what  Robin  told  me. 

george  cooper 

Pussy  Willow's  Secret 

Pussy  Willow  had  a  secret, 

That  the  snowdrop  whispered  her. 
And  she  purred  it  to  the  south  wind 

As  it  stroked  her  velvet  fur ; 
And  the  south  wind  hummed  it  softly 

To  the  busy  honeybees, 
And  they  buzzed  it  to  the  blossoms 

On  the  crimson  maple  trees. 
They  dropped  it  to  the  wood  brook, 

Brimming  full  of  melted  snow. 
And  the  brook  told  Robin  Redbreast 

As  they  chatted  to  and  fro. 
Little  Robin  could  not  keep  it, 

So  he  sang  it  loud  and  clear, 
To  the  sleeping  fields  and  meadows, 

"  Wake  up  !     Cheer  up  !     Spring  is  here ! " 


Daily  Drill  Exercise  221 

89.  CONVERSATION   LESSON 

The  Importance  of  Good  Manners 

Review  Lesson  77,  page  86. 

Our  government  at  Washington  considers  the  study 
of  good  manners  so  important  in  our  schools  that  it 
has  published  a  Httle  book  on  the  subject.  Perhaps 
your  teacher  will  get  this  book  if  she  has  not  already 
a  copy.     You  will  be  greatly  interested  in  it. 

Some  of  the  things  the  book  discusses  are  how  chil- 
dren can  show  respect  for  older  people  at  home,  on  the 
street,  and  at  school ;  behavior  on  the  street  and  side- 
walk, etc.  Talk  these  matters  over  in  class.  Possibly 
your  teacher  can  arrange  to  have  good-manners  talks 
at  opening  exercises  for  several  days. 

90.  DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

Correct  Use  of  I  and  Me 

Most  children  use  /  and  me  correctly  when  they  are 
speaking  of  themselves  alone.  But  when  they  are 
speaking  of  themselves  and  some  other  person,  they 
use  the  wrong  form.  The  following  sentences  are 
correct : 

Mary  and  I  are  going  down  town. 
Mother  gave  Mary  and  me  some  candy. 

Note  that  in  one  case  you  say  "Mary  and  I"  and  in 
the  other  case  "Mary  and  me." 


222  SelJ-Help  English  Lesso?is 

Study  first  the  "Mary  and  I "  sentence.  If  you  were 
going  down  town  alone,  what  should  you  say?  Did 
you  use  /  or  me  ?  Tell  now  that  Mary  and  you  went 
down  town,  and  use  the  same  word  you  used  in  speaking 
of  yourself  alone. 

I  am  going  down  town. 

Mary  and  I  are  going  down  town. 

Change  each  of  the  following  sentences  so  that  it  will 
tell  about  some  other  person  as  well  as  yourself.  The 
first  sentence  should  be  changed  in  this  way  :  Ned  and 
I  went  to  the  store. 

1.  I  went  to  the  store. 

2.  Yesterday  I  saw  an  aeroplane. 

3.  One  day  last  summer  I  went  to  the  beach. 

4.  I  like  to  play  with  dolls. 

5.  One  day  I  saw  a  bluebird. 

6.  I  go  to  the  country  every  summer. 

7.  I  like  to  read  fairy  stories. 

8.  At  the  circus  I  saw  a  trained  elephant. 

Now  study  the  "Mary  and  me"  sentence. 

Mother  gave  Mary  and  me  some  candy. 

What  should  you  say  if  your  mother  had  given  the 
candy  to  you  alone?  You  would  naturally  say, 
"Mother  gave  me  some  candy."  If  me  is  right  when 
speaking  of  yourself  alone,  it  is  right  to  use  the  same 
word  when  speaking  of  yourself  and  another  person 
in  the  sam£  kind  of  sentence. 


Story  Telling  222, 

Change  each  of  the  following  sentences  so  that  it  wUl 
tell  about  some  other  person  and  yourself.  The  first 
sentence  will  be,  Please  teach  Ned  and  me  how  to  skate. 

1.  Please  teach  me  how  to  skate. 

2.  Mother  sent  me  on  an  errand. 

3.  Will  you  please  give  it  to  me? 

4.  Did  you  call  me  ? 

5.  Should  you  like  to  go  to  the  store  with  me? 

6.  Father  gave  me  a  nickel. 

7.  Uncle  Ned  Wrote  me  a  letter. 

8.  Did  you  see  me  ride  on  the  merry-go-round  ? 

Make  sentences  in  which  you  use  /  in  speaking  of  some 
other  person  and  yourself.  Make  sentences  in  which 
you  use  me  in  speaking  of  some  other  person  and  your- 
self. Read  the  sentences.  Your  teacher  will  have  the 
three  best  /  sentences  and  the  three  best  me  sentences 
written  on  the  blackboard.  Copy  them  and  use  them 
for  a  few  days  in  your  three-minute  drills. 

In  speaking  of  some  other  person  and  yourself,  which 
do  you  mention  first?  It  is  not  wrong  to  mention 
yourself  first,  but  it  is  not  polite. 

Use  /  and  me  sentences  on  your  bulletin  board  for 
a  while. 

91.   STORY  TELLING 

Some  one  may  tell  the  story  of  the  butterflies  that 
were  changed  to  flowers.     See  page  142. 

The  Blackfeet  Indian  mothers  tell  a  pretty  story 
about  the  butterflies.     They  say  that  when  a  butterfly 


224  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

passes  in  front  of  a  person  he  is  bringing  a  pleasant 
dream.  Even  the  little  papooses  smUe  in  their  sleep 
after  seeing  a  butterfly. 

Today  some  one  will  enjoy  being  the  butterfly. 
When  the  butterfly  has  fluttered  through  the  room, 
take  a  two-minute  nap  with  heads  on  the  desks,  and 
then  tell  your  dreams.  ' 

Remember  these  things : 

Make  your  story  short. 

Tell  it  in  clear  sentences. 

Have  a  good  opening  sentence. 

TeU  things  in  their  right  order. 

Let  your  voice  help  in  every  way  possible. 

92.   WRITING   STORIES 

For  seat  work  you  may  write  your  dreams.  Be  sure 
they  are  as  good  as  you  can  make  them,  before  giving 
them  to  your  teacher.  Why  would  your  teacher  not  be 
satisfied  with  this  example? 

$2.75 
.18 

2200 

275 

An  unfinished   story   is   as  bad   as   an  unfinished 

problem.     Your  story  should  have  an  end  as  well  as  a 

beginning.    A  short  story  carefully  written  and  planned 

will  help  you.     A  longer  story  unfinished  or  carelessly 

written  will  weaken  your  language  power.     How  ? 


Writing  Conversation  in  Stories  225 

93.    WRITING   CONVERSATION   IN   STORIES 

Use  of  Quotation  Marks 

Do  you  remember  the  marks  you  used  at  Christmas 
time  with  the  titles  of  books?  This  is  the  way  you 
learned  to  write  a  title  in  a  sentence:  I  have  been 
reading  "Alice  in  Wonderland." 

You  have  seen  these  marks  used  in  another  way 
ever  since  you  could  read.  Today  you  will  find  out 
what  this  other  use  is. 

Here  is  a  part  of  the  story,  "  The  Three  Bears  "  : 

The  father  bear  said,  "My  chair  is  too  large." 
The  mother  bear  said,  "My  chair  is  too  small." 
The  baby  bear  said,  "My  chair  is  just  right." 

If  some  of  you  can  find  out  what  work  the  marks 
do  in  these  sentences,  you  may  whisper  your  secret 
to  your  teacher.  Then  all  study  in  the  following 
way: 

Who  is  speaking  in  the  first  sentence?  Read  the 
words  he  spoke  and  nothing  else.  Read  the  other  part 
of  the  sentence.     With  which  part  are  the  marks  used  ? 

The  sentence  gives  the  exact  words  used  by  the 
bear.  We  call  these  words  a  quotation.  The  marks 
are  called  quotation  marks. 

Answer  the  following  questions  about  the  other 
sentences :  Who  is  speaking  ?  What  is  the  quotation  ? 
What  is  the  explaining  part  of  the  sentence?  Which 
part  is  inclosed  in  quotation  marks? 


226  Self -Help  English  Lessons 

Now  notice  in  how  many  ways  the  book  helps  the 
reader  to  understand  that  the  sentence  contains  a 
quotation.  What  is  the  first  word  of  each  quota- 
tion? Is  it  the  first  word  of  the  entire  sentence? 
With  what  kind  of  letter  does  it  begin?  Is  this  a 
new  use  of  the  capital  ? 

What  mark  sets  off  the  quotation  from  the  ex- 
plaining part  of  the  sentence  in  each  case?  Is 
this  a  new  use  of  the  conama?  What  marks  inclose 
the  quotation  ?    Is  this  a  new  use  of  quotation  marks  ? 

There  are  three  things  for  you  to  remember : 

1.  A  quotation  begins  with  a  capital  letter. 

2.  A  quotation  is  usually  set  off  from  the  rest  of  the  sen- 
tence with  a  comma. 

3.  A  quotation  is  inclosed  in  quotation  marks. 

Now  explain  the  use  of  all  the  capitals  and  punctua- 
tion marks  in  each  of  the  bear  sentences. 

94.  ANOTHER  WAY  OF  ARRANGING   QUOTATIONS 

The  bear  sentences  might  have  been  written  in  the 
following  way : 

"My  chair  is  too  large,"  said  the  father  bear. 
"My  chair  is  too  small,"  said  the  mother  bear. 
"My  chair  is  just  right,"  said  the  baby  bear. 

How  do  these  sentences  differ  from  those  in  the  last 
lesson  ?  Review  the  three  rules  for  writing  quotations. 
Do  the  quotations  in  this  lesson  follow  these  rules? 
Prove  your  answer. 


Conversation  Lesson  227 

For  a  week  your  teacher  will  appoint  one  pupil 
each  day  to  copy  on  the  bulletin  board  a  short  sen- 
tence containing  a  quotation.  You  may  each  copy  it 
for  seat  work.  Take  a  minute  at  the  beginning  of  the 
language  lessons  to  explain  the  punctuation. 

You  will  not  write  quotations  in  your  original 
stories  at  present.  These  lessons  on  the  punctuation 
of  conversation  are  intended  to  open  your  eyes  so  that 
you  will  notice  and  understand  what  you  have  been 
seeing  ever  since  you  learned  to  read. 

95.  CONVERSATION  LESSON 

Safety  First 

What  accidents  have  occurred  in  your  neighborhood 
that  might  have  been  avoided  ?  Tell  clearly  how  they 
could  have  been  prevented. 

Explain  in  a  few  clear  sentences  the  best  way  to  per- 
form one  of  the  following  acts  without  danger  of 
accident :  cross  a  street  where  the  traffic  is  heavy ; 
enter  a  street  car ;  get  off  a  street  car ;  manage  a  brush 
fire ;  take  care  of  matches  at  home. 

Ask  each  other  questions  about  the  ones  you  do  not 
fully  understand.  It  will  be  easier  to  explain  some 
things  if  you  act  them  out. 

Here  are  two  good  safety  mottoes  to  learn : 

Better  be  safe  than  sorry. 

Safety  first  —7  not  part  of  the  time,  but  all  the  time. 


228  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

96.     STUDY   OF   A   STORY 

Mother  Sunshine's  Victory 

''Good  morning!"  gayly  cried  Mother  Sunshine,  as  she 
kissed  Snowdrop,  sleeping  quietly  under  her  warm  blanket 
of  snow. 

A  Httle  green  head  peeped  out,  and  a  sleepy  voice  asked, 
"  Is  it  really  time  to  get  up  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed,"  answered  Mother  Sunshine.  ''Come 
quickly  and  put  on  your  beautiful  white  dress.  You  are 
to  sing  a  welcome  to  Spring." 

"But  it  is  still  so  cold,"  murmured  Snowdrop.  "King 
Winter  will  be  sure  to  send  me  back." 

"Do  not  be  troubled  about  that,"  said  Mother  Sunshine. 
"As  long  as  I  am  here,  no  harm  shall  come  to  you.  Come 
quickly !  Your  song  of  welcome  will  waken  the  other 
flowers." 

So  Snowdrop  put  on  her  beautiful  white  dress  and  sang 
this  song  of  welcome  to  Spring : 

"Welcome,  welcome,  lovely  Spring  I 
Welcome  are  the  flowers  you  bring  !" 

And  while  she  was  still  singing,  flowers  of  many  delicate 
colors  began  to  spring  up  about  her. 

In  his  sparkKng  ice  palace.  King  Winter  heard  Snow- 
drop's song.  "What  does  this  mean?"  he  cried  angrily 
to  his  servants,  the  Storms.  "Do  you  not  hear,  you  lazy 
fellows?  Get  your  snow  sacks  and  show  these  pert  Httle 
flowers  that  my  reign  is  not  yet  over." 

WhistHng  and  shrieking,  the  Storms  emptied  their  sacks 
of  snowflakes  over  the  woods  and  fields,  and  once  more 
hung  icicles  on  the  roofs  of  the  houses.  The  flowers  drew 
back  their  heads  under   the  snow  blanket ;    but  Mother 


Study  of  a  Story 


229 


230  Sdf-IIelp  English  Lessons 

Sunshine  whispered  cheerily,  "  Do  not  be  afraid !  King 
Spring  mil  soon  appear  and  drive  away  King  Winter." 

But  softly  though  she  whispered,  King  Winter  heard. 
''Ho!  Ho!"  he  roared.  "Let  Spring  come  if  he  dare! 
He  is  a  coward  !     He  dare  not  face  the  Storms !" 

"Do  not  be  so  sure  of  that,"  rephed  Mother  Sunshine. 
"You  have  done  mischief  enough.  It  is  time  for  a  gentler 
monarch  to  appear."  Then  she  gazed  so  steadily  at  King 
Winter  that  the  icicles  on  his  beard  began  to  melt. 

"Let  him  come  ! "  King  Winter  roared  still  more  fiercely. 
"I  will  strangle  him  mth  my  icy  hands." 

"No,"  said  Mother  Sunshine  cahnly.  "I  will  protect 
him." 

Unnoticed  by  either  Mother  Sunshine  or  King  Winter, 
a  slender  youth  came  across  the  fields.  Golden  locks 
surrounded  his  ruddy  face,  and  his  blue  eyes  beamed  with 
kindness.  He  wore  a  many-colored  robe,  and  his  staff 
was  twined  with  wreaths  of  spring  flowers. 

With  a  fight  step  he  advanced  to  King  Winter  and 
touched  him  with  his  staff.  King  Winter  shuddered 
and  bowed  himself  to  the  earth. 

"Go  home,"  said  the  stranger.  "Your  reign  is  over. 
My  name  is  Spring.  Father  Time  has  sent  me  to  be  king 
of  this  land." 

King  Winter  leaped  to  his  feet  and  once  more  called 
for  the  Storms.  It  was  in  vain!  Mother  Sunshine  had 
already  sent  them  far  away.  Then  King  Winter  reafized 
that  he  had  lost  his  kingdom,  and  sullenly  entered  his 
palace.  But  Mother  Sunshine  beamed  so  warmly  on  the 
walls  that  palace  and  king  disappeared  together. 

And  now  suddenly  everything  became  green  and  the 
flowers  burst  into  bloom.  Snowdrop  once  more  sang  her 
song  of  welcome,  while  Bluebell  rang  an  accompaniment. 
Joy  and  happiness  filled  the  land,  for  King  Spring,  sur- 
rounded by  many  beautiful  flowers,  had  begun  his  reign. 


Playing  the  Story  231 

Studying  the  Story 

Read  the  story  silently.  When  you  have  finished, 
ask  questions  if  there  are  any  words  you  do  not  under- 
stand. If  your  classmates  cannot  answer,  your  teacher 
will  help  you. 

Show  how  Snowdrop  peeped  out  from  under  the  snow 
and  spoke  sleepily ;  how  Mother  Sunshine  spoke  gayly ; 
how  King  Winter  spoke  angrily,  how  he  roared,  and 
how  he  shuddered  and  bowed  himself  to  the  earth. 
Show  how  he  sullenly  entered  his  palace. 

Read  the  story  aloud,  bringing  out  its  full  meaning. 

When  you  dramatize  the  story,  how  many  scenes 
shall  you  have  ?  How  many  children  are  needed  to  take 
the  speaking  parts  ?  How  many  flowers  that  act  with- 
out speaking  shall  you  have? 

Do  you  need  sacks  for  the  Storms,  or  can  the  Storms 
suggest  sacks  by  the  way  they  use  their  hands  ?  What 
can  you  have  for  King  Spring's  staff  ?  Can  you  show 
in  any  way  how  flowers  were  twined  about  his  staff  ? 

Discuss  thoroughly  any  other  points  that  you  should 
think  about  before  acting  the  story.  Read  the  story 
again  before  your  next  lesson.  If  you  should  like  to 
take  a  special  part,  write  your  teacher  a  note,  telling 
her  so. 

97.   PLAYING   THE   STORY 

Unless  you  prefer  some  other  plan,  a  group  of 
volunteers    may    first    play    the    story.     When    the 


232  Self-Help  English  Lessons 

audience  has  told  what  was  good  and  what  could  be 
improved,  the  teacher  will  appoint  another  group  of 
pupils  to  try  to  do  still  better. 

Should  you  like  to  play  this  story  again  and  invite 
another  grade?  If  you  plan  to  do  so,  write  the  note  of 
invitation. 

98.   STUDY   OF   A   POEM 

Under  the  Ground 

Oh,  such  a  commotion  under  the  ground, 

When  March  called,  *'  Ho,  there,  ho  ! " 
Such  spreading  of  rootlets  far  and  wide  ! 

Such  whispering,  to  and  fro  ! 
And,  ''Are  you  ready?"  the  snowdrop  called, 

"It's  time  to  start,  you  know." 
Then  "Ha  !  Ha  !  Ha  !"  the  chorus  came 

Of  laughter  soft  and  low. 
From  the  millions  of  flowers  under  the  ground  — 

Yes,  milKons,  beginning  to  grow. 

Read  the  poem.  What  do  you  like  about  it  ?  Is  it 
only  hi  March  that  there  is  a  commotion  under  the 
ground?  Did  you  ever  wish  you  could  see  what  was 
going  on  there  ?  Your  teacher  will  tell  you  a  simple  way 
to  find  out.     You  will  then  report  in  your  diaries. 

99.   LETTER   WRITING 

Write  a  letter  to  some  pupil  who  is  absent  because 
of  sickness  or  for  any  other  reason.     Get  in  all  the  fun 


spelling  Lesson  233 

you  can.  Each  child  may  first  write  a  single  paragraph. 
Read  the  paragraphs  aloud,  and  choose  three  or  four 
to  go  into  the  letter.  Choose  a  good  writer  to  copy 
the  entire  letter.     Plan  how  to  send  it. 

100.    SPELLING   LESSON 

Learn  to  spell  the  following  words.  Use  in  written 
sentences  all  groups  containing  a  comma,  a  period,  or 
an  apostrophe.^ 

break  a  window  Mrs.  Bluebird 

wrote  a  letter  Mr.  Goodfellow 

meant  to  go  June  2,  1922 

half  a  dollar  Chicago,  Illinois 

cried  bitterly  Main  St. 

Ned's  book  Frank  and  I 

father's  horse  yours  truly 

mother's  picture  tried  to  write 

doesn't  try  Chestnut  Ave. 

a  true  story  your  true  friend 

Dictionary  Lesson  —  Seat  Work 

In  what  way  are  the  following  words  alike  ?  Which 
letter  should  you  think  of  in  arranging  them  alpha- 
betically ?  Arrange  one  list  each  day  for  the  next  three 
days. 

church,  child,  change,  choose,  cheese. 

shape,  short,  sheep,  shine. 

sardines,  sample,  satchel,  safety,  sadder,  salad,  sap, 
save,  sailing. 


234 


Self -Help  English  Lessons 


101.  ANOTHER  USE   OF  THE   COMMA  IN  WRITING 

CONVERSATION 

Read  the  following  conversation  : 

"My  poor  baby  has  broken  her  head,  doctor,"  said  Mrs. 
White. 

"I  hope  she  has  no  fever,  Mrs.  White,"  answered  the 
doctor. 

"I  don't  think  so,  doctor,"  said  Mrs.  White. 

"I'll  come  right  over,  Mrs.  White,"  said  the  doctor. 

"Thank  you,  doctor,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  White. 

Who  is  speaking  in  the  first  sentence  of  the  story? 


Reading  Diary  Stories  235 

To  whom  is  she  speaking?  Read  the  quotation 
naturally,  and  notice  if  your  voice  shows  that  she  is 
speaking  to  the  doctor.  How  does  the  book  show  it  ? 
To  whom  is  the  doctor  speaking  in  the  second  sen- 
tence ?  How  does  the  book  show  that  he  is  speaking  to 
Mrs.  White?  Fmd  all  the  other  places  in  which  a 
comma  is  used  in  the  same  way.  How  do  the  commas 
help  the  reader? 

Doctor,  my  poor  baby  has  broken  her  head. 
My  poor  ^aby,  doctor,  has  broken  her  head. 

Is  the  word  doctor  set  off  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence 
in  each  of  these  cases?  How  many  commas  were 
needed  in  the  second  sentence?  Why?  No  matter 
where  the  name  of  the  person  spoken  to  comes,  it 
must  always  be  set  off  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence. 

The  name  of  the  person  spoken  to  should  be  set  off  from 
the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  one  or  two  commas. 

For  a  week,  your  teacher  will  each  day  ask  a  pupil  to 
write  on  the  bulletin  board  a  sentence  using  the  comma 
in  the  way  you  have  studied  today.  Take  a  minute 
at  the  beginning  of  each  language  lesson  to  explain  the 
use  of  the  comma.  Copy  the  sentence  each  day  as 
seat  work. 

102.   READING   DIARY   STORIES 

Today  you  may  read  in  class  the  last  story  you  wrote 
in  your  diary.  Help  each  other  by  criticizing  the 
stories.  Which  story  was  most  interesting?  Which 
required  the  sharpest  eyes? 


230 


Self-Help  English  Lessons 


103.   DAILY   DRILL   EXERCISE 

■     Those  AND  Them 

Sometimes  children  say  "them  books"  for  "those 
books."  Those  and  them  are  correctly  used  in  the 
following  sentences : 

Do  you  see  those  books? 
Do  you  see  them  ? 
Those  flowers  are  pretty. 


Traveling  Seeds  2yj 

The  little  girl  in  the  picture  also  used  the  words 
correctly.     This  is  what  she  said  : 

Those  books  are  Ned's.     Do  you  see  them? 

Read  the  following  sentences  : 

1.  Are  those  apples  sour? 

2.  What  are  you  doing  with  those  pictures? 

3.  Do  you  see  those  frisky  kittens  ? 

4.  Yes,  I  see  those  frisky  kittens. 

5.  Yes,  I  see;them, 

6.  These  flowers  are  pretty;    those  flowers  are  not  so 
pretty. 

7.  Do  you  see  those  golden  daffodils  ? 

8.  What  is  in  those  boxes  ? 

9.  Are  those  peaches  ripe? 

10.  How  much  did  you  pay  for  those  roller  skates  ? 

1 1 .  Who  threw  those  balls  ? 

If  this  mistake  is  made  in  your  grade,  use  these 
sentences  for  a  few  days  in  your  three-minute  drills. 

Read  also  once  each  day  the  sentences  in  one  of  the 
other  drills  that  you  need  to  review. 

104.   TRAVELING    SEEDS 

Mr.  Raymond  was  very  proud  of  his  lawn.  The  closely 
clipped  grass  was  beautifully  green,  and  not  a  weed  dared 
show  its  face.  But  one  spring  morning  Mr.  Raymond  saw 
a  golden  flower  shining  like  a  jewel  in  the  grass.  "  How 
came  that  dandelion  here?  "  he  asked. 

You  will  try  to  answer  Mr.  Raymond's  question. 
Did  you  ever  try  to  blow  the  seeds  off  a  dandelion? 


238 


Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 


Was  it  an  easy  thing  to  do  ?  Did  they  fall  to  the  ground 
at  once?  What  did  they  do?  Could  you  blow  a 
dandelion  seed  into  the  middle  of  a  large  lawn  ?  What 
stronger  blower  could  do  it? 

Are  you  ready  now  to  answer  Mr.  Ra3miond's  ques- 
tion? If  you  are  not,  talk  it  over  in  class.  Ask 
questions  of  the  other  pupils. 


105.   ANSWERING   A    QUESTION 

Today  you  may  tell  Mr.  Raymond  a  story  that  will 
explain  to  him  how  the  dandelion  got  into  his  lawn. 
One  of  the  boys  may  be  Mr.  Raymond.  Tell  the  story 
clearly  from  the  beginning.  Be  sure  to  tell  where  the 
seed  came  from.  You  may  need  to  use  some  of  these 
words :  feathery,  float,  travel,  blew,  sprouted. 

If  every  step  is  not  clearly  told,  Mr.  Raymond  should 
ask  questions.     After  two  or  three  pupils  have  answered 


Study  of  a  Story  239 

Mr.  Raymond,  the  class  may  prepare  an  answer.  .  Your 
teacher  will  write  the  story  on  the  blackboard  as  you 
give  it  to  her. 

106.  A   COPYING   LESSON 

Read  the  following  story.  When  you  have  it  well  in 
mind,  copy  it.  Why  is  the  apostrophe  used  in  Mr. 
Reed's  ?  Think  of  margins,  indention,  capitals,  periods, 
and  spelUng.    ^^rite  it  a  second  time  from  memory. 

A  'frisky  breeze  once  caught  a  dandehon  seed.  He 
carried  it  to  Mr.  Reed's  lawn.  The  next  spring  the  seed 
sprouted.  Before  long  there  was  a  golden  blossom  in  the 
grass. 

107.  STUDY    OF   A   STORY 

The  South  Wind  and  the  Dandelion 

Shawondasee,  the  South  Wind,  loved  to  He  in  the  shade 
and  enjoy  the  fragrance  of  the  flowers  all  about  him.  One 
day  he  gazed  over  the  field,  with  a  sleepy  eye.  At  a  dis- 
tance he  saw  a  slender  girl  with  yellow  hair.  The  next 
day  he  looked  again.  She  was  still  there,  more  beauti- 
ful than  ever.  Every  day  his  eyes  sparkled  with  joy  as 
he  saw  her  in  the  dewy  field. 

But  one  morning  he  looked  in  vain  for  the  beautiful 
maiden.  An  old  woman  now  stood  in  the  field.  Instead 
of  a  crown  of  golden  glory,  she  had  a  head  of  gray. 

"Oh!"  sighed  Shawondasee,  *'my  brother,  the  North 
Wind,  has  been  here  in  the  night.  He  has  put  his  cruel 
hand  on  her  head  and  whitened  it  with  frost." 

Then  Shawondasee  sighed  heavily.     His  warm  breath 


240  SelJ-IIelp  English  Lessons 

reached    the    place    where    the    old    woman    stood.     Her 
white  hair  fell  from  her  head,  and  she  was  gone, 

And  every  spring  Shawondasee  still  sighs  sadly  for  the 
maiden  with  the  golden  hair. 

Who  w^as  Shawondasee?  What  did  he  see  in  the 
field  one  morning?  What  happened  to  the  beautiful 
girl?  Whom  did  Shawondasee  blame  for  the  change? 
Was  the  North  Wind  to  blame?  Shall  you  think  of 
this  story  when  you  hear  the  South  Wind  sigh  in  the 
spring  ? 

When  you  read  the  story,  show  how  Shawondasee  felt 
when  he  said  the  sentence  beginning  with  "Oh!" 
What  feeling  does  the  "Oh !"  express? 

108.   ANOTHER  USE   OF  THE   COMMA  IN  WRITING 

CONVERSATION 

There  is  still  one  way  in  which  the  comma  is  used  in 
writing  conversation,  but  at  no  other  time. 
Read  the  following  story  : 

Little  Red  Hen  found  a  seed, 

"Will  you  help  plant  the  seed,  Mr.  Cock?"  she  asked. 

"No,  I  will  not  help,"  answered  Mr.  Cock. 

"Will  you  help  me,  Mrs.  Duck?"  asked  Little  Red  Hen. 

"No,  I  shall  not  help  you,  either,"  said  Mrs.  Duck. 

"Will  you  please  help  me,  Mr.  Turkey?"  then  asked 
Little  Red  Hen. 

"Yes,  I  will  help  you.  Then  we  shall  share  the  wheat 
we  raise,"  said  Mr.  Turkey. 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Turkey,"  exclaimed  Little  Red  Hen. 
And  off  they  went  to  plant  the  seed. 


Use  of  Comma  in  Writing  Conversation     241 

What  is  the  first  question  in  the  story?  Is  it  set 
off  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  a  comma  ? 

Yom*  rule  says  that  a  quotation  is  usually  set  off 
from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  a  comma.  But  in 
this  case  the  quotation  is  a  question.  What  mark 
is  always  used  after  a  question?  Try  to  explain  why 
it  is  not  necessary  to  use  a  question  mark  and  a  comma 
too. 

Now  study  the  story  and  give  a  reason  for  every 
capital  and  punctuation  mark  until  you  find  a  comma 
whose  use  you  have  never  studied. 

Read  the  sentences  containing  yes  and  no,  and  see 
if  your  voice  sets  off  these  words  from  the  rest  of  the 
sentence. 

Why  is  no  set  off  in  the  first  of  the  followng  sen- 
tences?    Why  is  it  not  set  off  in  the  second? 

No,  I  am  not  afraid  of  snakes. 
No  automobile  was  in  sight. 

The  words  yes,  and  no  meaning  the  opposite  of  yes,  are 
separated  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence  by  commas. 

For  a  few  days  your  teacher  will  appoint  a  pupil 
each  day  to  write  on  the  bulletin  board  a  short  sentence 
using  either  the  word  yes  or  the  word  no  meaning 
the  opposite  of  yes.  Copy  it  as  seat  work,  and  take 
a  minute  at  the  beginning  of  each  language  period 
to  explain  the  new  use  of  the  comma. 

Remember  always  that  the  most  important  thing 
for  you  to  do  in  your  written  work  is  to  be  able  to 


242  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

write  a  short  paragraph  in  clear  sentences,  and  with- 
out mistakes,  and  to  write  a  short  letter  and  get  every 
part  of  it  exactly  right.  You  will  then  have  little 
trouble  in  writing  conversation  later. 

109.   MAKING   AND   GUESSING   RIDDLES 

Imagine  that  you  are  a  very  useful  article  in  a  school- 
room.    Make  a  riddle  by  describing  yourself. 
Here  is  a  riddle  to  start  with : 

I  am  very  tall  and  slender.  I  cannot  stand  alone  because 
I  have  only  one  foot.  Most  of  the  time  I  lie  in  a  long, 
narrow  bed  with  some  very  dusty  companions.  The 
children  use  me  in  their  geography  lessons.  I  help  them 
travel  from  place  to  place  faster  than  an  express  train 
could  carry  them.     What  am  I? 

Answer  the  question  in  a  complete  sentence.  The 
pupil  who  first  guesses  the  riddle  may  give  the  next  one. 

110.   WRITING   THE   RIDDLES 

For  seat  work  write  your  riddles.  They  will  be 
fastened  together  to  make  a  book.  Who  will  make 
a  cover  for  the  book? 

When  the  riddle  book  is  finished,  lend  it  to  another 
grade.  Ask  the  teacher  of  the  grade  if  the  riddles  were 
so  well  expressed  that  the  pupils  could  easily  guess  the 
answers. 

You  made  a  book  of  riddles  last  year.  Compare  the 
riddles  just  written  with  the  older  ones.  State  in  what 
ways  you  have  improved  since  the  first  ones  were  written. 


Explaining  Quotation  Marks  243 

Pronunciation  Drill 

For  a  few  days  take  a  minute  or  two  at  the  beginning 
of  each  language  lesson  for  pronouncing  these  words 
correctly  and  rapidly : 


follow 

kept 

let  me  take 

hollow 

been 

give  me  the  book 

asked 

evening 

used  to  skate 

stopped 

perhaps 

shut  the  door 

told 

;.     picture 

once  upon  a  time 

• 

111. 

CONVERSATION  LESSON 

Thrift 

Have  you  ever  heard  your  father  or  mother  tell  of 
ways  in  which  they  earned  money  when  they  were 
young  ?  What  kind  of  work  did  they  do  ?  What  did 
they  do  with  the  money  they  earned? 

What  are  some  of  the  things  that  now  often  tempt 
girls  and  boys  to  spend  the  money  they  earn  or  have 
given  to  them?  Discuss  in  class  how  small  sums 
of  money,  even  a  few  pennies,  count  up  week  after 
week.  You  may  enjoy  finding  out  how  much  you  would 
have  in  a  year  if  you  saved  five  cents  each  week. 
What  could  you  do  with  this  money? 

112.  EXPLAINING    QUOTATION   MARKS 

Today  you  will  have  the  last  lesson  of  the  year  in 
explaining  how  quotations  are  written. 


244  Self-TIelp  English  Lessons 

Read  the  following  fable,  enjoy  it,  and  then  explain 
the  punctuation  of  the  quotations. 

The  Ox  and  the  Frogs 

Some  little  frogs  were  once  playing  near  the  edge  of  a 
pool,  when  an  ox  came  down  to  drink.  They  were 
frightened  and  ran  home. 

''Oh,  mother,  an  enormous  creature  with  four  legs  came 
to  the  pool  this  morning  to  drink,"  they  cried. 

''Was  he  as  big  as  this?"  asked  Mother  Frog,  puffing 
herself  out  to  look  as  big  as  possible. 

"Yes,  much  bigger,"  answered  the  frogs. 

*'As  big  as  this?"  asked  Mother  Frog,  puffing  herself 
out  still  more. 

"Oh,  mother,  much  bigger,"  again  exclaimed  the  frogs. 

Mother  Frog  now  puffed  and  puffed  until  she  was  as 

round  as  a  ball.     "Was  he  as  big  as  ?"  she  began. 

But  just  then  she  burst. 

You  will  sometimes  notice  quotations  written  in  the 
following  way : 

"My  broth,"  said  the  father  bear,  "is  too  hot." 

" Come  along," called  Tom, "and  go  swimming  with  me." 

Do  not  try  to  explain  these  at  present.  Study  only 
the  quotations  that  are  not  broken  into  two  parts. 
There  is  plenty  of  time  for  the  others. 

113.   OUR   FRIENDS   IN    OTHER   LANDS 

This  picture  shows  a  scene  in  China.  Read  the 
picture  carefully,  and  learn  from  it  all  you  can  about 


Our  Friends  in  Other  Lands 


245 


246  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

the  people's  clothing,  customs,  surroundings,  etc. 
Select  one  thing  that  interests  you,  and  describe  it  or 
tell  a  story  about  it  in  a  few  clear  sentences. 

114.     WRITING   A   LETTER 

The  long  summer  vacation  will  soon  be  here,  and  then 
some  of  you  will  read  a  good  many  books.  You  will 
find  a  list  on  page  252,  but  these  may  not  all  be  in  your 
library. 

If  you  have  a  public  library,  write  a  note  to  the 
librarian  asking  her  for  a  good  list  of  books.  What 
things  about  you  will  she  wish  to  know? 

This  letter  will  be  team  work.  All  may  copy  it,  and 
your  teacher  will  choose  one  copy  to  be  sent  to  the 
library. 

If  you  have  no  public  library,  you  may  write  letters 
to  each  other,  giving  the  titles  of  some  good  books  you 
have  read. 

115.   STUDY   OF  A   POEM 

Rain  in  Summer 

How  beautiful  is  the  rain  ! 
After  the  dust  and  heat, 
In  the  broad  and  fiery  street, 
In  the  narrow  lane, 
How  beautiful  is  the  rain  ! 

How  it  clatters  along  the  roofs, 
Like  the  tramp  of  hoofs  ! 


Study  of  a  Poem  247 

How  it  gushes  and  struggles  out 

From  the  throat  of  the  overflowing  spout ! 

Across  the  mndowpane 

It  pours  and  pours ; 

And  swift  and  wide, 

With  a  muddy  tide, 

Like  a  river  down  the  gutter  roars 

The  rain,  the  welcome  rain  ! 

•  HENRY   W.    LONGFELLOW 

Listen  carefully  while  your  teacher  reads  the  poem 
to  you.  Different  children  may  then  read  it,  trying 
to  make  the  voice  show  how  the  rain  clattered  like  the 
tramp  of  hoofs. 

Which  stanza  will  you  read  the  more  rapidly  ?  Why  ? 
What  makes  the  stream  in  the  gutter  muddy  ? 

WTiat  other  poem  by  Henry  W.  Longfellow  have  you 
studied  ?     Review  it. 

116.  THE   USES    OF   RAIN 

Do  you  remember  the  poem,  "The  Raindrops' 
Ride"?     Review  it. 

Why  did  Mr.  Longfellow  describe  the  rain  as  being 
welcome?     Discuss  the  various  uses  of  rain, 

117.  STUDY    OF   A   POEM 

HmE  AND  Seek 

All  the  trees  are  sleeping,  all  the  winds  are  still. 

All  the  flocks  of  fleecy  clouds  have  wandered  past  the  hill ; 


248  SclJ-IIelp  E?iglish  Lessons 

Through  the  noonday  silence,  down  the  woods  of  June. 
Hark,  a  little  hunter's  voice  comes  running  with  a  tune. 

''Hide  and  seek ! 
When  I  speak. 
You  must  answer  me ! 
Call  again, 
Merry  men, 
Coo-ee,  coo-ee,  coo-ee!" 

Now  I  hear  the  footsteps,  rustling  in  the  grass ; 
Hidden  in  my  leafy  nook,  shall  I  let  him  pass  ? 
Just  a  low,  soft  whistle,  —  quick  the  hunter  turns, 
Leaps  upon  me  laughing,  rolls  me  in  the  ferns. 

"Hold  him  fast! 

Caught  at  last ! 
Now  you're  it,  you  see ; 

Hide  your  eye, 

Till  I  cry, 
Coo-ee,  coo-ee,  coo-ee  !" 

HENRY   VAN   DYKE 

Read  the  poem.  Do  you  see  the  picture  clearly? 
Some  one  may  tell  exactly  how  the  children  in  the  poem 
are  playing  "Hide  and  Seek."  Do  you  play  it  in  the 
same  way  ?  What  call  do  you  have  to  tell  the  one  who 
is  "  it "  that  you  are  ready  to  be  found  ? 

You  may  learn  either  this  poem  or  "Rain  in 
Summer." 

118.   DICTATION   LESSON 

Today  you  will  have  a  final  dictation  lesson  which 
you  have  never  seen.     Review  pages  208  and  209. 


Some  Questions  to  Answer  249 

119.    MAKING   BOOKS   FOR   THE    GRADE   LIBRARY 

Should  you  like  to  leave  a  book  of  nature  stories  for 
next  year's  fourth  grade?  A  book  of  bird  stories 
called  "Birds  We  Have  Known,"  or  a  book  of  flower 
stories  called  "Wild  Flowers  We  Have  Kno^\^l,"  would 
certainly  be  enjoyed  by  the  children  next  year.  Discuss 
the  matter  in  class  and  decide  which  you  would  rather 
write.  Each  pupil  should  write  at  least  one  story  for 
the  book.  Wljen  you  write  the  stories,  try  to  use  words 
that  make  pleasing  word  pictures. 

120.   SOME    QUESTIONS  TO  ANSWER 

You  have  now  finished  your  language  lessons  for  the 
year.  With  the  help  of  your  teacher,  make  a  Hst  of 
questions  like  the  following  about  the  most  important 
things  you  should  now  be  able  to  do : 

Do  I  now  always  talk  in  clear  sentences  ? 

Have  I  corrected  some  of  my  bad  speech  habits? 

To  how  many  of  the  questions  can  you  answer 
"Yes"? 

Next  year  you  will  have  a  new  book.  Shall  you 
take  some  happy  memories  of  this  one  into  the  new 
year? 

Shall  you  bring  to  the  new  grade  some  interesting 
summer  stories  to  share  with  your  classmates  ? 

Will  you  try  to  read  at  least  two  good  books  during 
the  summer?     See  the  list  on  page  252. 


250  Self-IIelp  English  Lessons 

SUMMARY  OF  RULES  LEARNED 

Use  of  capitals  : 

Every  sentence  begins  with  a  capital. 

The  names  of  persons  begin  with  capitals. 

The  word  /  is  always  written  with  a  capital. 

The  names  of  the  days  of  the  week  and  of  the  months 
begin  with  capitals. 

The  names  of  holidays  begin  with  capitals. 

The  names  of  cities,  states,  streets,  and  other  special 
places  begin  with  capitals. 

Every  line  of  poetry  begins  with  a  capital. 

The  first  word,  the  last  word,  and  all  other  important 
words  of  a  title  begin  with  capitals. 

Use  of  the  period  : 
A  period  is  used  at  the  end  of  every  telling  sentence. 
A  period  is  used  after  an  abbreviation. 
A  period  is  used  after  an  initial. 

Use  of  the  question  mark : 

A  question  mark  is  used  after  a  sentence  that  asks  a 
question. 

Use  of  the  exclamation  mark : 

An  exclamation  mark  is  used  after  a  word  or  a  sentence 
that  expresses  strong  feeling. 

Use  of  the  hyphen  : 

A  hyphen  is  used  at  the  end  of  a  line  when  part  of  a 
word  is  written  on  the  following  line. 

Use  of  the  comma : 
Commas  are  used  in  a  note  as  shown  below : 

Dear  Frank, 

Please  come  over  to  my  house  this  evening.     There's 

fun  on  foot ! 

Your  friend, 

Jack 


Summary  of  Rides  Learned  251 

A  comma  is  used  to  set  off  the  name  of  a  city  or  town 
from  the  name  of  the  state  :  Dayton,  Ohio. 

A  comma  is  used  to  set  off  the  day  of  the  month  from 
the  year  :  June  9,  1922. 

Use  of  the  apostrophe : 

An  apostrophe  is  used  in  a  contraction  to  take  the 
place  of  the  letter  or  letters  omitted :  I  can't  swim. 

An  apostrophe  and  5  are  added  to  a  person's  name  to 
denote  pgssession  :  Ned's  book  is  torn. 

Use  of  quotation  marks: 

The  title  ofc.  a  book,  story,  or  poem,  mentioned  in  a 
sentence,  is  inclosed  in  quotation  marks. 

All  the  rules  so  far  given  were  thoroughly  taught.  You 
were  also  shown  how  to  use  a  comma  in  the  following  way 
whenever  it  was  necessary  : 

The  words  of  a  list  in  a  sentence  are  set  off  from  each 
other  by  commas  :  In  my  garden  I  raised  peas,  beans,  corn, 
and  potatoes. 

You  were  also  taught  to  keep  your  eyes  open  and  notice 
how  conversation  is  written  in  stories. 

The  name  of  the  person  spoken  to  is  set  off  from  the 
rest  of  a  sentence  by  one  or  two  commas. 

The  words  yes,  and  no  meaning  the  opposite  of  yes,  are 
set  off  from  the  rest  of  a  sentence  by  a  comma. 

When  a  sentence  contains  an  exact  quotation,  three 
things  are  done  to  make  this  very  plain : 

1.  The  quotation  begins  with  a  capital  letter. 

2.  The  quotation  is  set  off  from  the  rest  of  the  sentence, 
usually  by  a  comma. 

3.  The  quotation  is  inclosed  in  quotation  marks. 


252  Sclf-IIelp  Euglisli  Lessons 

BOOKS   FOR   SUMMER   READING 

Below  is  a  list  of  books  that  children  everywhere 
enjoy.  If  you  have  a  public  library  where  you  live, 
the  librarian  will  help  you  select  others. 

Adventures  of  Pinocchio.    Collodi. 

Alice  in  Wonderland.     Carroll. 

American  Hero  Stories.      Tappan. 

Book  of  Legends.    Scudder. 

Children  of  the  Cold.    Schwatka. 

Davy  and  the  Goblin.     Carryl. 

DocAS,  THE  Indian  Boy.    Snedden. 

Fairy  Tales.    Grimm. 

Katrinka,  the  Russian  Child.    Haskell. 

Little  Brother  to  the  Bear.    Long. 

MoNi  THE  Go'at  Boy.    Spyri. 

MopsA  THE  Fairy.     Ingclow. 

Nelly's  Silver  Mine.    Jackson. 

Old  Indian  Legends.    Zitkala-Sa. 

Pig  Brother  and  Other  Stories.     Richards. 

The  Jolly  Book  of  Funcraft.    Beard. 

The  Lonesomest  Doll.     Brown. 

The  Magic  Forest.     White. 

Through  the  Looking- Glass.     CarrolL 

Under  the  Lilacs.    Alcott. 

Why  the  Chimes  Rang.    Alden. 


INDEX 


Abbreviations : 
of  avenue,  i86. 

days  of  week,  218. 

months,  218. 

street,  186. 

titles  of  address,  120. 
how   different   from  contractions, 

219. 
Apostrophe,  use  of : 
in  contractions,  159. 
to  denote  possession,  208. 

Books  for  summer  reading,  124,  252. 

•- 

Capital  letter,  use  of : 
to  begin  a  sentence,  28. 

ever>-  line  of  poetry,  148. 
important  words  of  titles, 

153- 
names  of  days  of  week,  54. 
names  of  holidays,  198. 
names  of  months,  133. 
names  of  persons,  30. 
names  of  places,  90. 
for  initials,  3 1 . 
the  word  /,  40. 
Comma,  use  of : 
in  dates,  132. 

other  parts  of  letter,  50,  no. 
to  set  off  exact  quotations,  226. 

name  of  city  from  state,  90. 
name  of  person  addressed, 

234- 
yes  and  no,  240. 
Composition,  Oral,  steps  in  :  choos- 
ing an  interesting  subject,  6 ;  hints 
for  the  story-teller,  7;  hints  for 
the  listener,  7 ;  using  short,  clear 
sentences,  study  of  model,  10; 
choosing  one  thing  to  tell  about, 
study  of  models,  12;  telling  short 
original  stories,  13  ;  telling  a  team 
story,  14;  telling  stories  from  a 
picture,  21;  dramatizing  a  story, 
22;  making  riddles,  40;  finishing 
story  begun  in  book,  52;  telling 
facts  in  right  order,  61 ;  avoiding 


beginning  many  sentences  with  the 
same  word,  62 ;  reproduction  of 
one  paragraph  story,  mainly  in 
words  of  book,  70;  describing 
clearly,  80 ;  choosing  good  be- 
ginning sentences,  134;  explaining 
how  things  are  made,  144 ;  choos- 
ing titles  for  stories  and  pictures, 

153- 

Composition,  Written,  steps  in : 
study  of  model  for  correct  placing 
of  sentences  on  paper,  margins, 
etc.,  27;  copying  sentences,  28; 
correcting  written  sentences,  29 ; 
copying  elliptical  sentences,  33 ; 
study  of  model  for  correct  placing 
of  paragraph  on  paper,  indention, 
38;  copying  a  paragraph,  38; 
study  of  arrangement  of  parts  of 
a  note  from  model,  50 ;  composing 
and  copying  a  team  note,  50; 
writing  a  note  from  dictation,  54 ; 
writing  an  original  note,  58;  com- 
posing and  copying  a  team  story 
of  one  paragraph,  72;  writing  an 
original  paragraph,  82 ;  choosing 
and  writing  titles  for  stories,  153; 
study  of  full  letter  form  from 
model,  and  practice  in  writing 
headings,  185;  study  from  model 
of  letter  of  several  paragraphs,  187  ; 
writing  letters  with  full  letter 
form,  188;  study  from  model  of 
addressed  envelope  and  practice 
in  addressing  letters,  188,  189. 

Compositions : 

Oral.     Sec  under  Oral  Work. 
Written.        See     under     Written 
Work. 

Contractions : 
how  formed,  158. 

different  from   abbreviations, 
219. 

Conversation     Lessons.     See     under 
Oral  Work. 

Copying : 

learning  how  to  copy,  27. 
See  under  Written  Work. 


253 


254 


Index 


Correct  use  of : 

ate  and  eaten,  i8o. 

bleiv,  greiv,  kncic,  threw,  174. 

brought,  180. 

come  and  came,  in. 

did  and  (/o»r,  99. 

don't  and  doesn't,  210. 

giVe,  giTDf,  and  g/zjoj,  167. 

/lazie  no,  has  no,  etc.,  156. 

/  and  me,  221. 

/5  and  are,  34. 

/5«'/,  etc.,  for  ain't,  63. 

j«(2y  and  can,  196. 

r(i?z  and  rz<H,  107. 

rang  and  rzwg,  183. 

sang  and  52mg,  184. 

^aic  and  seen,  88. 

/eac/;  and  learn,  73. 

//ioje  and  //^cw,  236. 

■was  and  tce^-f,  48. 

went  and  gowr,  118. 

Dates,  writing,  132. 

Dictation.     Sec  under  Written  Work. 

Dictionary  Lessons,  85,  86,  98,  113, 

171,  198,  199,  233. 
Dramatization : 

Camel  and  the  Goat,  The,  45. 

Country    Mouse    and    the    City 
Mouse,  The,  199. 

Fairies  Who  Changed  Work,  The, 
91. 

Giant  and  the  Sheep,  The,  22. 

King  and  the  Bee,  The,  114. 

Mother  Sunshine's  Victory,  228. 

Pilgrim  School,  The,  172. 

Rhodopis  and  Her  Beautiful  Slip- 
pers, 159. 


Fables.    See  Stories. 
Following   Directions,   67, 
143,  163. 


69,    103, 


Games : 
Animals  and  What  They  Do,  212. 
Asking  and  Answering  Questions, 

175- 
Birthday  Party,  The,  180. 
Colors,  66. 

Following  Directions,  69. 
Have  You  Seen  My  Lamb?  84. 


On  the  Road  to  London,  17,  89. 
Trades  and  Tools,  157. 
Who  Did  It?  loi. 

Flyphcn,  use  of : 
in  divided  word,  39. 

Initials,  how  written,  31. 

Language : 

relation  to  arithmetic,  104. 

to  other  subjects,  105,  ig6. 
Letter  Writing.    See  tinder  Written 

Work. 

Myths.    See  Stories. 

Oral  Work,  types  of : 

Composition,  original,  6,  8,  13,  14, 
21,  22,  31,  39,  49,  50,  52,  53,  62, 
72,  77,  80,  82,  96,  105,  112,  116, 
121,  132,  134,  136,  146,  149,  154, 
171,  178,  189,  203,  204,  206,  214, 
223,  237,  238,  244,  247. 

Conversation  Lessons,  59,  60,  74, 
86,  87,  no,  163,  166,  174,  181, 
182,  189,  206,  221,  227,  237,  249. 

Describing  things,  80,  82,  84,  163, 
178,  217. 

Explaining,  144,  194,  205,  227,  238, 

243- 
Making  riddles,  40,  242. 
See  also   Correct   Use   of  W^ords, 

Dramatization,   Games,   Poems, 

Stories. 

Paragraph : 

how  written,  36. 

in  letters,  187. 
Period : 

after  abbreviations,  120. 
initials,  31. 
telling  sentence,  28. 
Poems : 

America,  125. 

Autumn,  41. 

Autumn  Fires,  145. 

Autumn  Leaves,  44. 

Bluebird,  The,  106. 

Daylight  and  Moonlight,  1 70. 

Difference,  The,  169. 


Index 


255 


Poems  —  Continued 

Goldenrod,  147. 

Hiawatha's  Childhood,  71. 

Hiawatha's  Picture  Writing,  204. 

Hide  and  Seek,  247. 

Land  of  Storj'books,  The,  191. 

Little  Fir  Tree,  The,  178. 

Pussy  Willow's  Secret,  220. 

Raindrops'  Ride,  The,  108. 

Rain  in  Summer,  246. 

Short  selections,  205. 

Springtime,  119. 

Sympathy,  79. 

Under  the  Ground,  232. 

What  Robin  Told,  219. 

Which  Loved  Best,  59. 

Who  Loves  the  Trees  Best?  32. 

Windy  Nights,  193. 
Projects : 

Being  a  Santa  Claus,  57,  58. 

Keeping  a  diary,  214,  216,  etc. 

Keeping  language  bulletin  board, 
209. 

Making  book  for  lower  grade,  105. 

Making    book   of   nature   stories, 
249. 

Making  book  of  riddles,  82,  242. 

Making  class  collection  of  pictures, 
87. 

Making  objects  by  paper  folding, 
144. 

Making  picture  book  for  hospital, 
S8,  176. 

Making  a  story  book,  99,  172. 
Pronunciation  drills,  15,  26,  42,  55, 

77,  140,  151,  203,  243. 
Punctuation.     See   Period,    Comma, 

etc. 

Question  Mark,  use  of : 

after  questions,  28. 
Quotation  Marks,  use  of : 

in  writing  titles  of  books,  177. 
quotations,  225,  234,  240,  243. 

Sentence  Study,  steps  in :  study  of 
models  to  distinguish  short,  clear 
sentences  from  long  ones  with 
many  and's,  10;  telling  original 
stories  in  short,  clear  sentences, 
13;     game   requiring   the   use   of 


three  distinct  sentences,  17;  study- 
ing question  sentences,  18;  asking 
and  answering  questions,  21 ; 
studying  related  sentences,  para- 
graph idea,  36;  beginning  sen- 
tences with  different  words,  62 ; 
interpreting  sentences  that  give 
directions,  67 ;  game  for  training 
to  give  a  direction  in  a  clear  sen- 
tence, 69 ;  making  good  beginning 
sentences,  134;  strengthening  sen- 
tence sense  by  comparing  sentences 
with  titles  that  are  not  sentences, 
152;  emphasis  throughout  on 
using  good  sentences. 
Spelling,  43,  55,  85,    116,   133,   145, 

171,  198,  233. 
Stories  to  Study : 
Anecdote  of  George  Washington, 

203. 
Bobby  Trotter's  New  Year's  Gift, 

129. 
Boy  and  the  Nuts,  The,  70. 
Boy  Who  Stole  Apples,  The,  141. 
Boys  and  the  Frogs,  The,  154. 
Camel  and  the  Goat,  The,  45. 
Dog  in  the  Manger,  The,  96. 
Donkey  in  the  Lion's  Skin,  The, 

96. 
Eagle  and  the  Crow,  The,  213. 
Fairies  Who  Changed  Work,  The, 

91. 
Falling  Leaves,  164. 
Giant  and  the  Sheep,  The,  22. 
Goose  and  the  Golden  Eggs,  The, 

78. 
How  the  Butterflies  Came,  142. 
King  and  the  Bee,  The,  1 14. 
Moon's  Coat,  The,  155. 
Mother  Sunshine's  Victor}-,  228. 
Oak  and  the  Reed,  The,  212. 
Ox  and  the  Frogs,  The,  244. 
Rhodopis  and  Her  Beautiful  Slip- 
pers, IS9-    ■ 
South  Wind  and   the  Dandelion, 

The,  239. 
Spaniards  and  the  Birds,  The,  74. 
Stop,  Thief !  3. 
Thirsty  Crow,  The,  78. 
Why  the  Evergreens  Keep  Their 

Leaves  in  Winter,  112. 


256 


Index 


Word    Study :    in   connection    with 

study  of  poems  and  stories. 
Written  Work : 
Composition  and  miscellaneous,  30, 
54,  72,  82,  go,  95,  98,  99,  105, 
109,  112,  118,  132,  149, 153, 154, 
159,  167,  172,  ig6,  206,  209,  214, 
216,  217,  224,  239,  242,  249. 
Copying,  27,  29,  30,  2,2>,  35,  37,  38, 


40-  45,  54,  102,  109,   112,   I30, 

137,  148,  169,  181, 193,  209,  227, 
235.. 239,  241. 

Dictation,  54,  63,  70,  76,  109,  no, 

138,  164,  193,  210,  248. 
Letter  Writing,  54,  58,  59,  63,  70, 

76,  no,  116,  121,  138,  162,  164, 
176,  177,  180,  185,  186,  187,  188, 
189,  205,  214,  216,  232,  246. 


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